My name is Mitia, and I am eleven years old. I live in a small town in the south-central region of Madagascar. I have one older sister and two younger brothers. My father is a fisherman and sells his fish in the local markets. The fish he doesn’t sell he brings home and is what we eat most of the week. My mother stays home to take care of the house and my brothers. My older sister and I help with the chores, such as cooking and cleaning, while our mother takes care of our toddler brothers.

My sister and I are enrolled in a school but aren’t always able to attend. We walk to school, which takes us over an hour because there are no schools in my town. We are usually exhausted by the time we get to school but still are excited to be there! Our parents warn us to be careful because it is not uncommon to come across scorpions, black widows, and even crocodiles on our walk to school. It can be scary to walk so far away from home, but this is the closest school to our town, and we want to continue our education. Sometimes my sister and I can’t go to school because the weather could be too dangerous to walk in. We try to walk in groups to be safer, but it doesn’t always work out that way because many of our friends don’t go to school consistently. Some of our friends have entirely stopped going to school because it is too far or their parents need help at home. Especially as girls, my sister and I know we are lucky to be still attending school.

I think many communities in Madagascar are hoping to find ways to expand education. Many girls like myself value our education because it helps lessen our chances of getting married at young ages. Education is important to me because I know that it can help create a better future for myself and my community. I am really good at math and like to learn new skills that I can use outside the classroom. My mother was never able to attend school but always encourages me to study hard to have a better future. When I graduate, I hope to become a teacher and help more kids learn about subjects that interest them.

There are millions of students just like Mitia that love learning but don’t have access to schools. At Thinking Huts, we have made it our mission to help build schools efficiently to impact the Madagascar community significantly. After learning about the everyday struggles that Madagascar children face just to get to school, we have become even more determined to fulfill the need of local schools. 3D printing schools is a step in the right direction to give every child the opportunity to attend school.

My name is Kaleba, and I am from the south-central region of Madagascar. I have lived in this region my whole life and know the need for schools to be developed locally. When I was nine years old, I had to stop attending school to help my father work in the marketplace selling vegetables. I regret missing out on getting an education and often wonder how my life would be different now. I have two daughters that are attending school and make sure they attend as often as possible. My daughter Mitia is eleven years old and has already learned more than I did. She has been helping me learn to read and write. My other daughter Nanie is a strong math student and tells me that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Their education means so much to me, and I know they will have many opportunities with a higher education that I did not.

As a parent and village member, I am aware of the need for schools. Many families in our area live below the poverty level and struggle to get day-to-day necessities to our families. Our community is in desperate need of local schools. Our children have to walk over an hour to get to their school, and there are many things we fear they may come across. Madagascar experiences natural disasters about three to four times a year which usually takes children away from school for a couple of weeks because it is unsafe to walk that far away. Besides natural diaster and wildlife, there is the fear that our children will be the victims of human trafficking.

Our community would greatly benefit from a school placed locally in the community. More children would have the opportunity to go to school every day and be less likely to drop out. Aside from education, attending school allows our children to participate in youth sports and enjoy their time being a kid. My children take their education very seriously because they know how valuable it is for their future. Providing children with easy access to schools will not only benefit them but will help our communities rise. We face many difficulties, but having a local school to educate our children gives us hope for a brighter future.

One out of three Malagasy children does not complete primary school. 97% of the children that do are unable to read or understand single sentences. Madagascar has one of the lowest education rates globally, and the Thinking Huts team is determined to be the change. Kids should go to school without the fear of weather, wildlife, or being trafficked. The quickest way to grow the infrastructure for schools is to 3D print them. 3D printed buildings take much less time to build, are sustainable, and have a lower cost rate. There are many parents in Madagascar that have similar stories to Kaleba. Our goal is to empower students to build brighter futures.

My name is Mya, and I am a teacher in a village in Madagascar. I came to Madagascar three years ago from the United States and have been consistently challenged by the circumstances here. My challenges do not even come close to the challenges the students face. As a teacher, our classrooms are small and face overcrowding. I came to volunteer as a teacher for just one year, but I couldn’t leave after seeing the need for teachers that this community was in. As I teach, I can see the difference in the students’ lives. The students I have taught are excited to learn and strive to do their best. It is so rewarding to see these students progress and the joy it brings them to be accomplishing something. Two of my students are Mitia and Nanie, who walk over two hours just to get to and from school. Nanie is one of the strongest math students in the school and dreams of attending college in the US to become a doctor. Both girls have bright minds, but they are at a higher risk of dropping out as they get older. As their teacher, I try my best to encourage them to attend school as much as possible so they can be the ones in charge of their future.

There is a massive need for teachers, but the need for schools is essential. Kids come from miles and miles away to attend school because it is the closest option for them. This is an infamous problem in Madagascar and all over Sub-Saharan Africa and throughout Asia. The current school structures are run down and are often easily destroyed by natural disasters. One of the main reasons for low attendance rates is because of how far schools are for them. More schools locally will result in higher attendance rates. One of the hardest things about being a teacher here is feeling helpless towards the students’ difficulties. Knowing that there are times that students want to come to school but can’t because of the distance is a problem no child should face. Education is an investment. Schools being built will not only benefit the children but the economy. With more schools being built, more teachers will be trained and employed.

At Thinking Huts, we want to provide students and teachers with better access to sustainable schools. Mya is one of the many teachers worldwide that witness the struggles of students trying to go to school. Providing more schools will defeat the overcrowding problem, which will benefit the students' learning. We plan to source all the materials for the schools locally, which will employ locals and help the economy. Building more schools will allow my teachers to be employed and give them the chance to make a difference in the lives of children.