We have been supporting 5 public primary schools since the Bamboo lemur programme was launched in 2008: Sahofika, Vohitrarivo, Ambodigoavy, Ambodimanaga and Ambohipo, located in the 5 fokontany involved in the programme.

Parents and teachers were the first to ask for our help. Indeed, when our first actions to protect the greater bamboo lemurs were set up, three of the schools were in ruins and the other two were in a very poor state.

We then began our support by building new infrastructure, financing a total of 12 school buildings, the first two of which were made of wood. From 2017 onwards, all the new buildings were constructed using sustainable materials, so that each school now has three permanent buildings offering greater comfort and greater resistance to cyclones. Two schools have now been completed: Sahofika and Vohitrarivo, the latter having been completely rebuilt.

Each new school building is divided into 2 classrooms, all fully equipped: tables and benches for the pupils, desk and chair for the teacher, storage cupboards, blackboard, etc.

In addition, 3 existing buildings were renovated: one in Sahofika and the other 2 in Ambodigoavy.

Several classrooms have also been decorated with murals showing lemurs and their habitat.

We have also built latrines with hand-washing stations. In addition to these facilities, we organise hygiene awareness workshops during which we teach pupils the importance of washing their hands and maintaining good personal hygiene.

In addition to building and renovating school infrastructure, we also pay half the salaries of 16 non-tenured teachers recruited by parents, 7 of whom are assigned to pre-school classes. In fact, we have supported the opening of preschool classes in 3 schools. Since last year, we have also been providing training for teachers, most of whom do not have professional qualifications.

Moreover, every year we distribute school supplies to the 700 children currently attending the school.

In 2016, we opened our first school canteen at the Sahofika school. Today, each of the 5 schools has its own canteen. We have built and equipped the necessary infrastructure (kitchens, refectories) and we manage and finance these canteens from start to finish.

Since the cyclones of 2022, the 5 canteens have been open throughout the school year. Previously, they were only operational during the lean season (the period between the 2 rice harvests).

Over the entire 2022-2023 school year, they distributed almost 90,000 meals to 719 pupils, 23 teachers and 14 cooks every day.

The school canteens encourage children to attend school regularly, which helps to significantly improve their results. In 2023, in the 5 primary schools supported by Helpsimus, more than 70% of candidates for the Certificat d’étude primaire élémentaire (CEPE) passed their exam. This has never happened before! The pupil with the best results in the Commune came from the Vohitrarivo school.

Mrs Razafinampenarivo, the head of the Tsaratanana Pedagogical Administration Zone (ZAP), expressed her gratitude for our support.

The school canteens are also a source of employment for more than a hundred cooks who work in shifts to prepare the meals.

We are also seeking to set up short supply circuits for the canteens thanks to the farmers taking part in our agricultural programme.

The aim of this school canteen programme is twofold:

– to ensure that children attend school ;

– to develop the local economy around the management of school canteens. 

Thanks to a partnership with Electriciens Sans Frontières, the 5 schools have been electrified, enabling teachers to extend their activities and organise tutoring sessions if necessary.

Supporting children’s education is essential. By offering them a solid basic education, we are helping them to break out of the vicious circle of poverty and into the virtuous circle of sustainable development. As adults, they will be better prepared to manage their natural resources sustainably and protect their remarkable biodiversity.

The Bamboo Lemur programme was initiated in 2008 following the discovery of two groups of greater bamboo lemurs (Groups 1 and 2), each comprising around twenty individuals at the time.

Between 2008 and 2014, the growth in the population resulted not only from the implementation of the first protection measures, but also from the discovery of five new groups.

From 2014 onwards, the year in which the exploration ceased, the increase in the population is exclusively attributable to the protection measures in place.

It has remained constant since then, except for 2022, when around fifty individuals were not found following the passage of two high-intensity cyclones.

Since 2018, the number of births has generally been around 70 per year, with occasional peaks of over 80. These figures are exceptional, especially when you consider that this species was on the brink of extinction some fifteen years ago.

Groups 1 and 2 stand out for their exceptional growth, even though they live in the part of our conservation area most impacted by human activity. This area, although heavily anthropised, has an abundance of bamboo, which is the main source of food for the greater bamboo lemurs. Group 2 also proved to be the most prolific within the population. It has occasionally exceeded 80 individuals, with record numbers of births (up to 15 babies recorded in 2018).

These 2 groups also underwent several fissions, leading to the formation of Groups 3, 1′ and 1” for Group 1, and Groups 2′, 2” and 4 for Group 2. Subsequently, Groups 1” and 4 also split, giving rise to Groups 1”’ and 4′.

The fissions within the groups had various origins. Some fissions were directly linked to human activities, in particular major clearings in the lemurs’ territory, as well as the hunting of tenrecs by villagers with the help of dogs. Others were of natural origin, occurring when the groups reached a size generally exceeding 60 to 80 individuals. Finally, some fissions were the consequence of intense climatic factors, notably the two cyclones that occurred in 2022. These cyclones caused considerable damage, destroying up to 40% of the bamboo forests. This destruction resulted in a significant reduction in the food resources of the greater bamboo lemurs, leading to the dispersal of the animals.

The population of greater bamboo lemurs directly protected by Helpsimus has now exceeded 650 individuals, divided into 21 groups. These groups vary in size from just under 30 to almost 80 individuals.

The 21 groups are monitored by a team of 30 local guides, whose job it is to:

– monitor the groups: locate the animals and delimit their territory using GPS, carry out regular counts to update the inventories, report threats such as the presence of dogs or traps, and report attacks by the greater bamboo lemurs on crops.

– repel the greater bamboo lemurs from cultivated areas.

– help the scientific teams.

– take part in the inventories and the environmental education programme.

In addition to the 21 regularly monitored groups, three new groups formed after the cyclones of 2022, named 8′, 8” and 10, are not regularly monitored. Together, these groups total around thirty individuals.

The Bamboo Lemur programme site is now home to the largest wild population of greater bamboo lemurs. This success is attributable to our holistic approach to conservation, which aims to fight poverty among local populations, enabling them to protect their biodiversity in a sustainable way.

The greater bamboo lemur is currently the only lemur species whose populations are increasing. From less than 100 specimens in 2008, it is likely that the population now exceeds 1,500 individuals in Madagascar. However, despite this growth, the balance remains fragile, as demonstrated in 2022 with the cyclones. The greater bamboo lemur population has nevertheless shown remarkable resilience in the face of these events, thanks in part to the measures put in place to limit the pressure on its habitat.