Altervitam works through two areas of intervention: sustained education continuity for marginalised children and mentored livelihood development for family providers.
Both respond to a practical observation from field experience: when households stabilise, children are more likely to remain in school. When children progress through school, household prospects improve over time.
Altervitam began in 2012 by supporting orphaned and marginalised children in rural areas of Antananarivo, with particular attention to girls at risk of leaving school prematurely.
Although public primary education in Madagascar is officially free, schooling entails indirect costs. Families are expected to provide uniforms, learning materials and community-based contributions, including payments supporting FRAM teachers. For households with unstable income, these costs often determine whether a child remains enrolled.
Our intervention combines financial support with structured accompaniment. Assistance includes:
Support is linked to demonstrated effort and progression rather than to high academic performance alone. The objective is continuity and steady improvement within each child’s capacity.
All the girls supported since the programme’s inception have either entered higher education or moved into employment.
Over time, this sustained follow-up has enabled consistent advancement across academic cycles, including at transition stages where dropout risk is highest.