FOFAJA

FOIBE FANABEAZANA NY JAMBA

AN OVERVIEW OF THE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
Antsirabe – MADAGASCAR

THE BEGINNING

  • 1924: creation of the school for the Visually Impaired by the Norwegian Missionaries (NMS) at Loharano, Ambohimiarivo, all ages together
  • => Later the centre became a primary school
  • 1964:  1st  CEPE (Daniel)
  • 1973: The school was given to the Malagasy Lutheran Church by NMS

THE EXPANSION

  • 1985: Transfer of the Headquarters and the primary school to Fanilosoa , Antsirabe
  • Loharano became an annex and a vocational training centre for young visually impaired

EXPANSION  & THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES

  • Primary School
  • Vocational Training
  • Inclusion Program
  • Community Based Rehabilitation
  • Printing unit
  • Boarding School
  • Specialized teachers and inclusive education teachers training

The primary school:  FOFAJA (Fanilosoa , Antsirabe)   receiving 75 pupils in 2015-2016

The pupils stay in the primary school from 6 to 15 years old.

They follow the Curriculum of the Ministry of Education .

They also learn special subjects corresponding to their impairment –  Reading and writing Braille

  • Using a typewriter
  • Orientation
  • Mobility with or without white cane
  • Management of everyday life – . . .

TEACHING MATERIALS

  • Some materials and equipment are imported because they are not available in the local market: braille machine, plastic papers, abacus, slight, white canes, …
  • Printed books are provided by the Ministry of Education and translated into Braille by the Braille Printing Unit of the school
  • In order to meet the requirements of special education, the teachers make different kinds of special materials appropriate to visual impairment: realia, geometric shapes, relief maps, biology  organs … 

Vocational Training Center (Loharano, Antsirabe)

The vocational training center receives young people 15-30 years old. They learn about different kinds of money making activities: – Weaving: mat & tapestry – Knitting – Small breeding and farming

The vocational training center receives young people 15-30 years old. They learn about different kinds of money making activities:

  • Weaving: mat & tapestry
  • Knitting
  • Small breeding and farming

Besides, they learn reading &writing braille, basic management & accountancy,

CBR (Community Based Rehabilitation) program

The fieldworkers in this program teach, train, give advice and follow up adult visually impaired who have finished school or who can no longer go to school.

They also detect new blind who should go to school, or should be referred to the clinic for a treatment or for pieces of advice.

  • Boarding schools: Due to their impairment, the pupils stay in the boarding 10/12 months  a year, then the school is in charge of their education and their food.
  • The boarding school is also in charge of forging their socialization with fellows as well as their autonomy in everyday life.

Inclusion program:

  • Visually impaired students go to school with sighted children
  • Teachers from FOFAJA follow up students who attend secondary schools and universities. They help in solving eventual problems.
  • Teachers in ordinary schools need special training in teaching visually impaired

COMPUTER CLASS

  • Since March 2013, a new unit is in charge of teaching computer to the blind children.
  • The objective in the long run is that the visually impaired will have access to the use of the ICT as sighted people do, either in their education or in their future job.
  • However, the present situation does not yet permit this opportunity, we are at the phase of preparation: no access to internet, not enough training of the teachers
  • Special classes: Students in this program have lost their sight when they have reached a certain level at school. They need to learn reading and writing braille to finish their studies.