Lahiandro: “The current situation is better as I don’t have any more coughs. I also get to go to school to learn and play.¨

Lahiandro* is fourteen years old. He was born in Betroka District, Anosy Region, Madagascar.

Lahiandro’s parents, like many in rural Madagascar, depend primarily on farming to sustain their family. However, recurring droughts, insecurity, and limited opportunities for children in their district have made life extremely difficult. To cope, the children take part in supporting the household by assisting in farm work and engaging in mica mining alongside their parents.

The family shares a one-room house, where they all sleep on the floor, with a small kitchen built just beside it. In the village, children come together in a shared playground to play and spend time with friends. However, the community lacks proper latrines, and the family must fetch water from a river located far from their home.

Life in the mica mines

Because Lahiandro´s parents were engaged in mica mining, they brought their children along to increase the amount of mica collected and, in turn, raise more income. This situation meant that Lahiandro became a victim of child labour, forced to mine mica at the expense of his education and health.

Lahiandro’s daily life was dominated by work. “I first took breakfast and then washed myself up. I went to the mica mines or to the farming field to support my family. I never went to school,” he explained.

The work in the mica mines was difficult and hazardous, but it was necessary for the family’s survival. “It’s not like we like working in the mines. We are forced because we are poor,” he recalled.

His family earned barely anything from mica mining, with a 50 kg bag selling for only MGA 5,000 (about 1 euro). Because of this meagre income, food was limited at home. Breakfast often consisted of rice or cassava with greens, while dinner was usually dry rice or cassava with beans, and meat was a rare luxury. On most days, he managed to eat only twice.

Much-needed Support 

In 2023, Terre des Hommes Netherlands and FAFAFI launched Project FAMAHA 2 in Ranohendry, Antanambao, and Benato-Atsimo. Through this project, Lahiandro was identified and became a project participant. In June 2024, after the inauguration of a new school, Lahiandro was enrolled in primary school and began receiving support, including school supplies such as a backpack, pens, copybooks, pencils, and rulers. He also benefited from daily meals through the school canteen, participated in the Child Rights Club, and his household was supported with bean seeds and inclusion in a Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLA) group.

Thanks to the intervention, Lahiandro´s parents also became more aware of the harms of child labour and agreed to send their son to school instead of the mica mines. Lahiandro continues to be supported through the Child Rights Club and school, while teachers and child protection committees Cellule d’Ecoute et de Veille(CEV) and Comité Local pour la Lutte contre le Travail des Enfants (CLLTE) regularly conduct outreach activities to raise awareness on child labour, violence, and exploitation, as well as monitoring mica mines for child labour cases.

A new daily routine

Now, Lahiandro’s days involve studying in school instead of mining mica. He goes to school every day at the village school, which is less than one minute from his house. He plays with his friends at school and at home. He supports his parents with house chores such as cooking and fetching water. He likes to play at the river too,” explained a community member.

The shift has had a direct impact on his health and well-being.

A brighter future

The intervention has brought significant change to Lahiandro´s life. He is no longer burdened by working in the mica mines, instead, he can study, play, and dream. “The current situation is better as I don’t have any more coughs. I also get to go to school to learn and play,” he explained.

Although his parents still rely on mica mining and farming for income, Lahiandro now sees education as his own path to change.

Education is the way to become a vazaha ’ [a Malagasy word for foreigner, but also used to describe people with good jobs and money]. I actually would like to be a teacher,

— Lahiandro

When asked about his hobbies, he smiled: “Football is what I like to do but I’m not very good at it.”

Looking ahead, his dream is clear: “I want to become a teacher and give money to my parents.”

FAMAHA 2 project, implemented by Terre des Hommes Netherlands and FAFAFI, supports children in Benato-Atsimo, Ranohendry, and Antanambao through education, household support, and child protection structures. By tackling child labour and creating safer environments, the project helps children like Lahiandro build brighter futures.*Name changed to protect the identity of the project participant. All people involved in this story gave informed consent to participate.