LOCALISATION
ANTANANARIVO – MADAGASCAR
Joining the SESAME programme was a real turning point in my life. Leaving my region to study in the capital and adapting to a new environment was a challenge, but the greatest change came from the support I received.
SESAME is not just financial aid; it is personalised guidance that helped me discover myself, identify my career path, and look to the future with confidence.
Vania, young graduate of the SESAME programme.
The SESAME project: supporting access to higher education for the full integration of disadvantaged youth
In extension of the CERES program, the SESAME programme is a higher education preparatory and monitoring measure. It supports motivated bachelor degree students who are experiencing material or personal difficulties: these may be a result of a modest background, distance from the capital or even personal training that is insufficient for choosing a career and preparing for the complexity of student and urban life.
In order to achieve this goal, SESAME offers students a Preparatory Year (PY) at its new campus in Antananarivo, inaugurated in 2016 (see inset p.19). The program comprises educational and remediation lessons as well as personal development paths. At the end of the Preparatory Year, students present their ″life plan″ to a jury and sit their exams. 100% of PY students from the first three years of SESAME have joined a reputable higher education establishment in Antananarivo or Antsirabe.
During their higher education, the young people are monitored by reference educators and benefit from educational and professional guidance. They live in boarding accommodation and receive a scholarship which covers their school fees. ″Living costs″ are covered by their families.
A NEW PROFESSION ON THE ISLAND: SCHOOL AND CAREER COUNSELLOR
The School and Career Guidance (OSP) support project aims to significantly increase the number of high school students accessing higher education and continuing their studies without dropping out, through the implementation of a high-quality guidance policy in Malagasy high schools. It also seeks to improve post-secondary employment opportunities for young Malagasy graduates.
To develop this project, the SESAME team, in partnership with the Cooperation and Cultural Action Service (SCAC) and the Ministry of National Education, worked on creating a methodology in collaboration with 10 institutions and associations (7 public and private high schools and 3 associations in the Analamanga region). This was followed by the training of 20 School and Career Guidance counsellors (2 per partner structure) and the drafting of a manual. Once the pilot phase is completed, this initiative will support the Ministry in scaling up guidance programmes from secondary school to higher education.
THE RESULTS IN 2024:
