Randria: “I feel I know more things now from school”

Randria* is a 13-year-old boy from a rural village in Betroka District, Anosy Region, Madagascar. He comes from a nuclear family with both parents and six siblings, three brothers and three sisters.

In rural Madagascar, his parents relied mainly on farming to support the family. However, frequent droughts, insecurity, and the lack of other opportunities for children meant that every child was expected to contribute to the household, either by working in the fields or taking part in mica mining.

The family lives in a small one-room mud house, where the children sleep on the floor. They fetch water from the village river, about a ten-minute walk away. The children play in the village playground.

Life in the mica mines

For Randria, childhood meant hard work in mica mines. “When it was not cultivation time, especially during the dry season, we would go to the mica mines with our parents. I first went there when I was a kid, perhaps 3 or 4 years old. The children would sort micas from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. We also would take water, mud, and rocks out of the mica mines.”He recalled

A typical day started with cassava and greens for breakfast, before long hours at the mica mines. Lunch was often corn, watery rice, or sweet potatoes with beans, and dinner usually consisted of cassava with beans. For one 50 kg bag of mica, the family received only MGA 5,000 (about 1 euro).

The work took a toll on Randria . “I didn’t really like it at the mica mines because it is tiring to work there, it gives you back pain and makes you unwell,” he said.

In his rare free moments, he enjoyed playing with spinning tops, which helped him relax his body and mind.

Identification and support

In 2023, Terre des Hommes Netherlands and FAFAFI launched the FAMAHA 2 project in three villages: Benato-Atsimo, Ranohendry, and Antanambao. As every child in these villages was enrolled, Randria automatically became a project participant.

From June 2024, after the inauguration of the new primary school in his village, Randria life began to change. He received school supplies including a backpack, pens, copybooks, pencils, and rulers. He also benefited from daily meals in the school canteen and joined the Child Rights Club, where he received training on child rights.

His family received household support in the form of bean seeds and became members of a VSLA (Village Savings and Loan Association) group.

Today, Randria continues to be supported through the Child Rights Club and the school. 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 raise awareness in the community about child labour, violence, and exploitation. CLLTE members also visit mica mines to monitor child labour cases. Randria now lives with his uncle, Boba, who is a CLLTE member.

A new daily routine

Now, Randria wakes up, washes his face, and goes to school, where he is in his third year of primary education. He is learning to write, read, and count. At school, he enjoys playing football with friends, even though he admits he is “not very good at it.” What he really excels at, however, is playing spinning tops.

Thanks to school meals, he now eats lunch at the canteen, which provides him with better nutrition than before.

Positive change

Since the project intervention in his village, Randria no longer works in the mica mines. Instead, he focuses on his studies and follows in the footsteps of his uncle, who is actively engaged in child protection. “I feel I know more things now from school,” he said.

Aspiring dreams

The changes have filled him with hope and ambition: “The current situation is better as I learn many things in school,” he said.

He dreams big: “I would like to become a Sefo (a Malagasy word for a figure of authority, like a lieutenant) and ride motorbikes. I wish I’ll be able to give money to my parents when I am grown so they can buy food.”

When he is not studying, Randria enjoys playing football and spinning tops, which remains his favourite game.

The 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 activities. By addressing child labour and providing safe alternatives, the project is helping children like Randria build safer, healthier, and more hopeful futures.

*Name changed to protect the identity of the project participant. All people involved in this story gave informed consent to participate.