We cross a dry riverbed. Women dig for the last bits of water to wash their clothes. I realize my first world problems must be far away from the people here who actually have real struggles. Lavanono is a small village with a church, school, shop and lots of simple huts where a few hundred, mostly fishermen, live. The tribe is called Antandroy and gather in the main on the beach and centre their life around the sea. They seem to accept us and are happy to share the ocean. Every morning the fishermen swarm out with their tiny canoes while we play in the beautiful waves. They need the sea to feed their families whereas we use it for pure pleasure. Even though our motives are so vastly different, the people seem to like the commitment that we put into our outlandish looking activity called windsurfing. Some try to resemble us in our athletic doings, either on surfboards that were left behind, planks or whatever else was found and stays afloat. The atmosphere in Lavanono is warm and welcoming despite Madagascar´s in general difficult socio-cultural situation.
EXPLOITATION
The island of Madagascar physically separated early from Africa and that let plants and animals develop over thousands of years free from external influences. Many kinds live and blossom only here and nowhere else in the world. Madagascar’s ecology is unique. Since humans came across the island about 2000 years ago however, many species are now heavily endangered. Great parts of the tropical rainforest were slashed and burned. Nowadays, only ten per cent of its original forests are still intact with many animals extinct. In 1896 France established a colony against the influence of the Malagasy Kingdom. Until Madagascar´s independence in 1960, France´s military fought for their interests on the island. About 90.000 Malagasy died during a rebellion in 1948. The country´s politics have remained unstable with nature and its people being victim. Ninety per cent of the people live beneath the poverty line. Food and medical supplies are limited. Children work to nourish their families – around 19,000 under heavy and unhealthy conditions in Sapphire mines. Young girls prostitute themselves for money or the hope to meet a wealthy white man. Chinese and European trawlers empty the fishing grounds and tropical woods are cropped for international markets. Madagascar appears too weak to prevent exploitation.