Friends of Sekoly Kintana: Equipping a Trilingual

Our Story: A School Rooted in Love, Growing in Excellence

When we opened Sekoly Kintana in September 2024 with just seven students, we believed in something revolutionary: that every child deserves an education rooted in love, trust, and dignity—and that in Madagascar, this could be done in three languages with a Montessori foundation.

One year later, we are growing steadily, with 24 students enrolled for September 2025, and 26 in January 2026 a vibrant team of dedicated educators that we are continuing to train and expand, so that we can grow the school. We've refined our 3–6 and 6–9-year-old programs and are actively developing our 9–12 curriculum, integrating science, geography, math, and practical life lessons relevant to our region and culture.

This past year, we made bold moves aligned with our values:

✅ We completed the school year 2024 with 13 students ages 3 to 10.

✅ We created an inclusive environment where both scholarship and full-paying students thrived side by side—living proof that equity and excellence can go hand in hand. 7 of our 24 students are currently full to 50% scholarship -- 3 of whom had previously not attended school. 

✅ We sourced key Montessori materials internationally through Alibaba and had foundational works like our Pink Tower and Brown Stair handcrafted locally—investing in our community while building a prepared environment.

✅ We participated as a full school team in the Syntropy course on unconditional love in education, thanks to a generous partial scholarship (a 4-for-1 offer!) that made it possible for everyone to join.

✅ We made strategic staffing changes to shape a team that is aligned in values, skilled in Montessori practice, and deeply committed to the thriving of every child.

✅ We launched our 9–12 curriculum design process, extending our commitment to authentic Montessori education across the full primary cycle.

✅ We deepened trilingual instruction—Malagasy, French, and English—so that children are not only heard and seen in their mother tongues, but also equipped to navigate a multilingual world with confidence.

✅ We successfully obtained our tax status as an association in Madagascar and officially registered the Kintana Foundation in the USA, allowing us to receive donations and grants internationally.

✅ We received official recognition as a Private Montessori School by the Ministry of Education in Madagascar, a major milestone in our journey.

✅ We opened two bank accounts—one in the U.S. for the Kintana Foundation and one in Madagascar for the Association Kintana—ensuring financial transparency and solid infrastructure for growth.

✅ We paid out over 60 million ariary (~$13,000 USD) in salaries to our local Malagasy staff, while our founder continues to donate her time and resources, allowing every dollar raised to go further.

✅ We ended the year with 20+ students enrolled for September 2025—and we’re still welcoming new families who believe in our vision.

✅ And on August 4th, we were awarded a $4,000 grant to host a 10-month in-house AMI-trained Montessori guide, enabling our teachers to complete their internships and certifications right on campus through mentorship and modeling.She will join us from September 2025 through June 2026.

Now we need your help to take the next step. To truly support our students, our classrooms need additional materials—trilingual posters, locally made Montessori tools to complete our Scope and Sequence, and a high-quality printer to create learning resources in Malagasy, French, and English. We also need funds to help our team complete their training and continue growing as educators.

We believe that what we are building at Sekoly Kintana can be a model for culturally responsive, inclusive, and joyful education in Madagascar—and beyond.