THE PURPOSE OF THE FLAGBAG
The StreetSmart FlagBag is designed as a practical and flexible tool to support youth workers in their daily practice. It contains 50 educational flags, structured around 7 core topics, offering a wide range of activities that help children and young people develop essential life skills. Through playful and visual methods, the colourful flags enable youth workers to engage participants around themes such as mental health, physical health, children’s rights, financial literacy, basic education and more.
OUR PARTNER
This new collaboration is started with Projet SANDRATRA, a consortium of local organisations launched in 2016 to support children and families living in street situations in Antananarivo, with the support of Apprentis d’Auteuil International. The StreetSmart FlagBag is directly managed by the team of Centre NRJ (Nouveau Relais des Jeunes), one of four local organisations within the project, alongside Graines de Bitume, ONG Manda and ONG HARDI Madagascar. Together, these organisations combine their expertise to improve the quality of support for vulnerable children and youth, while strengthening their long-term autonomy and impact.
THE TARGET GROUP
The need for this work is urgent, as Madagascar remains one of the poorest nations in the world. The capital Antananarivo is home to a large and growing number of children living in street situations. Estimates indicate that around 20,000 to 23,000 children are currently living on the streets in the capital. These children are often exposed to multiple, overlapping challenges such as limited access to education and healthcare, violence, exploitation, social exclusion and unstable family environments. The FlagBag will be used to reach children both on the streets and in care centres, offering them safe, engaging learning experiences and moments of connection with local youth workers.
HOW THE FLAGBAG WILL BE USED
The StreetSmart FlagBag will be actively integrated into the daily educational work of the partner organisations, with a strong focus on both street-based interventions and centre activities. During the launch week, two pilot sessions already demonstrated its huge potential. Because of the rains caused by Cyclone Gezani, a first session took place inside Centre NRJ, reaching around 70 children. A second interactive session was organised the day-after on Thursday in Ankofa Anosibe, near the market, engaging around 60 children.
Going forward, the FlagBag will be used different times per week by each organisation in different neighbourhoods and street locations across Antananarivo. Moreover, the flags will also be used during special events and during a monthly “Point d’Écoute”, a joint activity reaching on average around 150 children.
This launch marks the beginning of a promising collaboration. The strong engagement of the teams and the scale of the target group creates a solid foundation for long-term impact. During the first year of the partnership, StreetSmart and Centre NRJ will also investigate if a future mobile school could still add extra impact to the work done by the teams on the street. With continued use, training and collaboration, the StreetSmart Flagbag has the potential to significantly strengthen youth work practices in Antananarivo — and to grow into an even broader programme in the future.
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