Leonette’s Journey

At the Time + Tide Foundation, we work with inspirational people from many walks of life. One of these is Leonette Rasoarinirina, a young Malagasy mother of two, working hard to provide for her family. Rather than migrate to the city after finishing her studies, Leonette chose to return to her home village –  on the coastal mainland of Madagascar – to teach in the public middle-school, while also working part-time with the Time + Tide Foundation to provide extra academic and life-skills support to female students. By doing so, she has made all the necessary efforts to broaden her own knowledge and improve her skills through various trainings.

Leonette comes from a family of 8 (5 brothers and 3 sisters) and was born and raised in the village of Ambanifony, within the SAVA region where her parents were farmers. She was fortunate to grow up in a family that believed in the value of education for boys and girls equally. She studied in Ambanifony until she received her high-school diploma. Thereafter, she completed a degree in Management in the nearby Alaotra-Mangoro region. Two years later, she came back to Ambanifony to put her skills to use.

While her main job is an assistant mathematics teacher at a public middle school, when invited to collaborate with the Foundation, she saw an opportunity to give back to her community. Leonette sets an example for young women: not only has she completed school but she has also specialized in an academic subject that is male-dominated. She is an important role and proof that when parents invest in their daughters’ educations the returns are tangible.