Madagascar is a country that lives in poverty by Western standards. It is one of the poorest countries in the world by international standards and, accordingly, is clearly considered a Developing country. Many people have less than one dollaravailable to them per day for survival, and especially the children suffer greatly from this poverty.
Begging children with sad eyes or also child prostitutes belong in many Regions of Madagascar, but above all in the Capital Antananarivo have long been part of the cityscape. Western standards in terms of Education, training or health care system are still light years away from Madagascar. That is precisely why the Tourism so enormously important for this country and the people living there. In the following we would like to give you a small insight into the societal structures on the island and also point out the living situation of many children on the island. In this way we would like to make you receptive for what awaits you in some places of Madagascar, but at the same time we would like to show you how many improvements you as a tourist can bring to this poor country just by your mere presence. If you have any questions about the following information or about anything else on our site, we would be happy to hear from you. direct contact.

The social structures of Madagascar

Anyone traveling to Madagascar for the first time will quickly notice that the social structures in the countryside and in the city are very different from each other. While the Capital Antananarivo many places poverty-stricken and begging or starving people dominate the cityscape, just a few steps away there are also western looking luxury villaswith which the rich upper class created a cozy and comfortable nest. The Middle class in Madagascar on the other hand, is less easy to recognize, since the people of this stratum generally lead a very modest life by our standards, but at the same time they are envied by many other Malagasy precisely for this life. Madagascar is a developing countryHowever, technical progress has been making its way into this area for some years now. A major sign of this are the numerous carsThe main reason for this is the high number of cars that push their way through the streets of the larger cities in endless lines of cars. Since the People from Madagascar cannot afford new cars, the cars are mainly powered by old diesel engines, which in turn pollute the already heavily polluted Environment in Madagascar additional burden.

However, the farther a traveler gets away from the capital cities, the clearer it becomes that social conditions on the island can be quite different. Many people in the countryside have lived for generations completely self-sufficient in their villages and communities and are still largely independent of technological developments in the cities. With their traditional agriculture people in the rural areas can survive well in principle, from the classical Rich-poor differentiations they are accordingly excluded. But also the Living conditions of these Madagascans may change significantly in the near future: The overexploitation of nature, which has been going on for several centuries now, is making itself felt in more and more regions - the soils are becoming infertile and karstified, and agricultural use of the same is then no longer possible. As soon as this development manifests itself even more clearly, the rural population of Madagascar have to deal with serious problems.

The children in Madagascar

When it comes to the social structures in Madagascar then it is essential to take a look at the youngest members of this society.
These have been particularly successful in the urban areas of the country not exactly easy and often have to fight for their survival. Basically the Education in Madagascar women's business and while this is the case in rural areas, especially with regard to the Family cohesion While this usually works out quite well, it proves to be completely different in cities like Antananarivo. In recent years and decades, a specific pattern has emerged whereby men often stay with their families for only a short time and then leave them sooner or later. The women then have to take care of the Supply for the children as well as take care of the financial burden of a family. This often goes wrong, which is why many Children in Madagascar far Below the poverty line live. Ten percent of all children in Madagascar die before they even reach their fifth birthday, and a school education is no more than a vague dream for most of them. The Illiteracy rate in Madagascar is around seventy percent and only in the last two years have real countermeasures been taken. For the country's children in particular, however, it is now time for the democratic new elections finally manifest themselves in reformations in the island state.

Many Aid organizationsThe political upheavals in 2009 led to a complete change of the organization, which was primarily aimed at supporting the youngest children, but whose organizational roots were abroad. Withdrawn from Madagascar. This has resulted in numerous positive changesThe process of reorganization, which had already been set in motion, was halted again or even completely reversed in some cases. Only since the democratic new elections a new wind seems to be blowing in the country, which hopefully will bring positive changes for the poorest and weakest of the Malagasy society. At the beginning of this chapter, we pointed out that we not only want to show you the basic features of the social situation in Madagascar, but that it is also important to us to show you how the Tourism in Madagascar can help to effectively combat poverty in this country. Many People in Madagascar could find permanent employment in the tourism sector and benefit from a secure source of income benefit. In parallel, the additional revenue in the treasury could be used to Education and health sectors strengthen. Currently, predominantly privileged children have the opportunity to to attend a school in MadagascarMany other children from the poorer population are still denied this. So if you have a Trip to Madagascar book, then you can always keep in mind that you are not only doing something good for yourself and giving yourself an unforgettable adventure, but that you are also supporting the population, the environment and the children of one of the poorest countries in the world. Therefore, do not hesitate to contact us directly if you are looking for Trip information or to a potential Madagascar vacation would like to inquire.