The “Ceres” program supports the poorest children and youth from rural areas of Madagascar on their path to higher education. The aim is to provide about 600 promising adolescents with solid elementary education every year and to prevent them from dropping out of school. The Ceres schools are spread over five villages in the Haute-Matsiatra region in central Madagascar. Boarding is available at all five locations for 200 children who live too far away from the schools. The project also offers educational support to several rural high schools.

Evaluation of the project shows that 80 percent of participating secondary school students successfully completed compulsory education. The national rate, by comparison, is 40 percent. 94 percent of students who continue to high school successfully graduate. In addition, the exam results of Ceres students are significantly better than the national average. The vocational preparation and the higher educational level of Ceres students make them more attractive to local companies and better able to find a job that earns enough to support them independently.