Colette, working for the inclusion of people with disabilities in Madagascar

Breaking down prejudices about disability in schools

Colette lives in Madagascar with her family. She has been teaching since 2013 and currently works as an English teacher at the François de Mahy General Education College.

When she was younger, her dream was to become a lawyer, but she eventually chose to go into teaching. She loves passing on her knowledge to her students, and above all, she loves to see them develop and progress. The determination shown by her students in their efforts to learn the language is a great source of motivation for Colette.

In addition to teaching English, Colette also seeks to raise her students' awareness of disability issues. She sees students with disabilities being excluded by their peers, so she doesn't hesitate to share her story.

"When I was 11, I fell from a tree and broke my arm in the fall. The reason I am an amputee is that I didn’t receive the treatment I needed in time to save my arm. After my amputation, I felt a change in the way people treated me", says Colette.

She noticed that the people she met viewed her with mistrust and thought she was incapable of doing anything. Because of her experience, she is happy to answer her students' questions about her disability to help break down barriers and foster mutual understanding.

"The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is resilience – the ability to face up to challenges. And to always live your life according to your own choices", says Colette, who has made her disability her strength.

Working for the inclusion of people with disabilities

Since 2017, alongside her work as a teacher, Colette has been a member of the Regional Collective of Organizations of People with Disabilities in her local region, making friends and meeting up with peers to share advice, exchange ideas, and learn from others. Colette, along with some other people from the association, has formed a language group and is now teaching French to members.

As part of the HELASIA project, HI has supported this association by providing training on disability, the rights of people with disabilities, and even public speaking.

For Colette, the project has been very beneficial, enabling her to develop as a person, thanks notably to the training on disability rights, speaking in public, and income-generating activities.

But Colette knows that there is still a long way to go to improve the inclusion of people with disabilities in Madagascar. In her view, it will require education and vocational training. She considers information and raising awareness about disability to be essential because, in the long term, changing the way people perceive disability will have a massive impact on the lives of those living with disabilities.