About Us
Give Them a Smile is an educational/entrepreneurial initiative based in Madagascar, one of the poorest countries on Earth, where 46% of the population is illiterate and ever-increasing pressure on limited resources is causing widespread social and environmental problems.
"Be the change you want to see in the world "
- Gandhi
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide quality education for people in Madagascar to help them improve their lives while encouraging self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability.
Meet our awesome team of volunteers!
Itsikiantsoa (Tsiky) Randrianantenaina (Malagasy) studied at College Saint Louis de Gonzague, Mahasoabe (our main targeted area). Then, she moved to Fianarantsoa to attend high school at College Saint Francois Xavier. She and moved to Morocco for an Engineering degree in Telecommunications, Institut National des Posts et Telecommunications. She then obtained a fellowship from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, where she completed her Masters and PhD degree in Electrical Engineering. She is convinced that education is the best way to break the poverty cycle and to build a sustainable future for her country.
Itsikiantsoa said: "90% of the Malagasy population lives under the poverty line (earning less than 2 USD a day); they are living in a poverty cycle that only gets worse. I believe that targeted education for each demographic is one of the ways to break the vicious cycle of poverty. Education gives a high-level perspective and a deeper understanding of one’s surroundings, which allow innovation and real, impactful economic change. I founded Give Them a Smile for that reason. I dream of a Malagasy population that understands the importance of education and of Madagascar where education is no-longer undervalued or seen as a luxury, but is available to all Malagasy children."
Itsikiantsoa Randrianantenaina
Founder, Executive Director
Elisa Guagliardo
Co-founder
Elisa Guagliardo (Italian) holds a Bachelor Degree in Communication and Management for arts and culture (Bachelor degree), and a Master of Science in Economics and Management of Arts, Media, Culture and Entertainment. She is currently working as an Events Specialist in KAUST, Saudi Arabia, where she met our Founder, Tsiky
"I developed a passion for helping people and for continuous learning through education and skills development. I learned that in life you need to be able to adapt and develop yourself all the time - and education is what takes you to the next level. One of my biggest dreams has always been to work for a non-profit organization, but I would have never imagined that I could actually create Give them a Smile with my best friend Tsiky when she came up in 2016 with the idea of helping children in Madagascar. "
Jan Kosco
Jan Kosco holds a Master of Science in Chemistry from Imperial College London and a PhD degree in solar hydrogen production from KAUST, Saudi Arabia.
“I joined Give Them a Smile in 2018 after visiting the country for the first time in 2017. I love Madagascar, its People and Nature. I saw the environmental destruction in Madagascar and I think that education will help both People and Nature.”
