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You are watching UNICEF Television.

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In the middle of literally nowhere, an hour's walk from a nearby road,

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there is a primary school that is setting the standard

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for what a child-friendly school in Madagascar should be all about.

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In five years, enrollment at Ambuchunibe School has gone up from 155 to 207.

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Completion has almost doubled, and dropouts have been reduced by 300%.

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The reason for this success? A contract signed between parents, teachers,

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school administrators, local community members, and students

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to keep children in a quality school.

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Since this contract was signed, parents have renovated the school building,

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opened up a canteen, and will soon be constructing a library and a football field.

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Even children help through a Big Brother, Big Sister program.

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Every morning, Big Brothers and Big Sisters pick up and guide their younger siblings

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to traverse three to five kilometers to ensure that no child is left out.

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UNICEF has helped make this dream possible by financing and training teachers

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to help schools put in place the contracts, as well as producing an implementation guide,

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carrying out frequent field visits, and providing material support,

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particularly for the development of learning materials.

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The government of Madagascar wants to promote this type of contract program

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in all 22 regions of the country.

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Hoping, of course, for the same results, a school full of healthy, happy children.

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Ms. Basheg, reporting for UNICEF Television, Unite for Children.