Masy Andriamparanony, in charge of the  "Early childhood" project in Antananarivo

 What is the objective of this project ?
The objective of the “early childhood” project is to help improve the education and care-management of young children in difficulty (disabled and underprivileged children) by providing them with socio-cultural  and educational activities every Saturday. The project is based in the Isotry neighbourhood, one of the more disadvantaged areas of the capital, Antananarivo.  

 How do you bring the children together ?
The groups are made up of children of the same age-group, some with and some without disabilities (two workshops of 15 children). The children are “recruited” in different ways : information is put up in the local administration offices; we tell parents who call into Handicap International's office in Isotry; and, of course, they find out by word of mouth. But it was mainly the carnival at mardi gras, where the children took part in the procession in fancy-dress, carrying signs with different messages on, that attracted a lot children to these activities.  

 What benefit to the children get from the project ?
The older the children, the more attention and supervision they need (particularly those who come in off the streets and/or the severely disabled). We have discovered that these children are particularly attracted to the handicraft and art workshops. They realize, in real time, that they are capable of producing something. The children learn to respect others and people different from them. They were very proud to be able to take part in the carnival.  So, from the outset, this project has helped reduce the social exclusion of disabled and disadvantaged children in the town.