Madagascar: Kids Around the World

Right now in Madagascar, kids have a break from school. It's beautiful weather, like our summer, and is the season for festivals and religious celebrations. So I've seen lots of kids around the towns and villages. I've seen them playing (lots of soccer games, foosball, jumping rope, and bocce). But I've also seen them working hard, too. And by working, I mean really working. Like, it's often girls roughly between the ages of 8 and 15 who sit on the side of the road with a pile of vegetables to sell for the family. Or, who work in the family food stall if they are fortunate enough to have a little shop. I've seen boys carrying tree trunks from forest areas back home to chop into firewood and burn down to charcoal to sell. Both boys and girls carry water to and from rivers or wells, and help take care of younger siblings without supervision from their parents. They also assist in washing clothes in the river.

Burying the Little Brother in the Sand!

I had the opportunity to talk with one boy I met about his daily life. It's recorded in French, the language we were speaking, then below in English. Test out your French skills and see how much you understand first!

Me: Comment t'appelles-tu?
Isaiah: Je m'appelle Isaiah.
M: Quel age as-tu?
I: J'ai treize ans.
M: Maintenant, tu as des vacances de l'école. Qu'est ce que tu fais pendant les journées?
I: Mon papa est chauffeur de taxi. Je vais avec lui partout au Madagascar pour conduire les touristes.
M: Qu'est-ce que tu fais à la maison pour aider tes parents?
I: Je fais beaucoup de choses! Chaque matin, je prends de l'eau. Je marche trente minutes aller simple et j'apporte cinq litres à ma maison. Après, je prépare le petit-dejuner pour moi et mes parents.  Après ça, j'aide à ma maman à faire la vaiselle. Chaque soir, je marche encore une heure (aller retour) pour prendre une autre cinq litres de l'eau.
M: Et tu fais ça quand même tu vas à l'ecole pendant la journée?
I: Oui!
M: Est-ce que tu as des soeurs ou des frères?
I: Oui, j'ai une soeur et un frère. Mais, ils ont plus agés et ils ont leurs propres familles.
M: Alors, qu'est-ce que tu fais pendant le temps libre?
I: Je joue au football avec mes amis!
M: Est-ce que tu aimes l'école?
I: Oui...
M: A l'école, quel est ton suject préféré?
I: Mon sujet préféré est les sciences. Je voudrais être docteur.
M: Est-ce que tu apprends l'anglais à l'école?
I: Oui, mais je peux parler seulement un petit peux!
M: Qu'est-ce que tu manges pour le petit-dejeuner et le dîner?
I: Pour le petit-dejeuner, on prend du the et du pain. Pour le dînerr, on mange la viande-Zébu, avec le riz, les pommes de terres, et les tomates.
M: Merci, Isiah! Est-ce que tu as une question pour les enfants du Canada?
I: Non...je ne peux pas penser à quelque chose.

This is the first photo Isaiah had ever taken in his life!

M: What is your name?
I: My name is Isiah.
M: How old are you?
I: I'm thirteen.
M: Now, you have a holiday from school. What do you do during the days?
I: My Dad is a taxi driver. I go with him all over Madagascar to drive around tourists.
M: What do you do at home to help out your parents?
I: I do lots of things? Each morning, I get water. I walk thirty minutes one way and I carry five liters to my house. After, I make breakfast for myself and my parents. After that, I help my mother with the dishes. Each evening I walk again for an hour (round trip) to get another five liters of water.
M: And you do that on days when you have school, too?
I: Yes!
M: Do you have sisters or brothers?
I: Yes, I have one sister and one brother. But they are older and have their own families.
M: So, what do you do in your free time?
I: I play soccer with my friends! (Big smile!)
M: Do you like school?
I: Yes... (hesitantly)
M: What is your favourite subject?
I: My favourite subject is Science. I want to be a doctor!
M: And do you learn English at school?
I: Yes, but I can only speak a little bit!
M: What do you eat for breakfast and dinner?
I: For breakfast, we have tea and bread. For dinner, we have meat-Zebu (an animal like a cow), with rice, potatoes, and tomatoes.
M: Thank you, Isiah! Do you have any questions for the kids of Canada?
I: No...(shyly), I can't think of anything.

Pretty interesting, eh? We know that in so many countries around the world, clean water is a big concern, and that many women and children walk long distances to get water each day. Can you imagine walking an hour each morning before school to get water, before you've even eaten breakfast! Then again, after a day of school?

Try filling a bucket with five liters of water. It's not very much! Now try imagining how you could get by with only ten liters of water in the entire day. To drink, cook your food, wash yourself, your dishes, your house...and it's not just you-it's for your entire family! It would take some big changes in the way we live to do that!

For a look into how Canada compares to Madagascar, click this link:
http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/CA/MG