🎙️Feon’ny Zaza Podcast Episode 2: Voices from Madagascar’s Mica Mines

In the second episode of Feon’ny Zaza podcast, Terre des Hommes Netherlands takes you deep into the mica-rich regions of southern Madagascar, where poverty and drought have pushed thousands of children into hazardous labour. Families mine mica to survive, earning barely enough for food, while children work long hours under harsh, unsafe conditions exposed to dust, darkness, and exhaustion.

Through the FAMAHA Project, Terre des Hommes Netherlands is working hand in hand with communities to change this reality, helping families find safer, sustainable livelihoods and ensuring that children return to school, where they belong.

I want to become a teacher because now I know things because of a teacher, and I want to transfer the same knowledge to the next generation

— Nakeli, a 15-year-old girl who once worked in the mines

Now part of her school’s child rights club, Nakeli helps educate her peers and parents about the importance of education and the dangers of child labour.

I see the struggle and poverty children face, and it pushed me to join Terre des Hommes Netherlands to help more children

— Lima Andriamanomesoa a husband, father, and Project Officer at Terre des Hommes Netherlands, explains:

He recalls how years of drought and extreme poverty leave families with few options, forcing many to send their children to the mines. Through community empowerment, training, and livelihood support, the FAMAHA Project is offering new hope.

Children can only be withdrawn from mica mining if alternatives are provided. We have trained parents, given them seeds, and taught them better farming methods. Now, children are convincing their friends to go to school. They feel happier in class than in the mines

— A village chief and child rights facilitator also shares his perspective:

This episode is a powerful reflection on the intersection between poverty and child labour, and a testament to what can happen when communities come together to protect their children. It reminds us that ending child labour starts with tackling poverty and providing real alternatives for families.

At its heart, Feon’ny Zaza podcast continues to be a space where children’s voices lead the conversation where they are not spoken for, but truly listened to.

🎧 Tune in, listen, and be inspired to take action because every child deserves to learn, play, and dream, not mine.