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Writer's pictureGerardo Fortino

The Price of Indifference: Voices and Hidden Truths from a Landfill in Madagascar

In a world racing ahead, drawn by the lights of innovation and progress, there exist submerged realities, forgotten in the eyes of opulence. Madagascar, a nation whose beauty is overshadowed by stories of survival and despair, becomes the backdrop of a journalistic journey that unveils the bitter price of global indifference.


Madagascar: The Dark Heart of Progress


In the shadow of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, lies a reality that cries out for justice. An open-air landfill, where the acrid smell of waste intertwines with the daily lives of people who, in a desolate landscape, find means of subsistence among the debris. This place, where the smoke from self-combustions stains the sky gray, is home to stories of survival and despair that rarely resonate beyond the borders of this forgotten land.


The lives of the landfill inhabitants are marked by a struggle for existence. Among them stand figures of dignity and desperation: women and men who, in inhumane conditions, work tirelessly to collect plastic, copper, and metals, transforming each piece gathered into a semblance of redemption, however minimal. The landfill thus becomes not just a physical place but a symbol of a global society that turns a blind eye to abandonment and misery.


Antananarivo Landfill Photos by Gerardo Fortino

Between Hope and Desperation: The Story of a Woman


My experience in Madagascar intertwined with the lives of real people, including a woman whose story embodies the struggle for survival. Her account of harrowing realities, like abandoned fetuses in the landfill by women forced to work until their last strength, opens a window into a world where human dignity is under siege. Her hesitant hand, eventually clasped in mine, symbolizes a promise of humanity that often remains unfulfilled.


These stories, these lives, are not just narratives. They are the harsh and ruthless reality of existences teetering on the brink of humanity, in a world that has turned its back on them. Every image, every word, every memory is a silent cry of despair and dignity, an appeal to our common humanity. Living here, at the extremes of human horror, is akin to standing at the shores of the River Styx, waiting for Charon to drag us into the bowels of hell.


The Hidden Face of Africa and the Silence of the West


The Antananarivo landfill is just one example of the price paid by many due to global indifference. The stories of survival in this earthly hell reveal the gulf between living conditions in the West and those in forgotten parts of Africa. Practices like "land grabbing," for instance, illustrate how profit-seeking and predatory development models have disrupted ecosystems and human lives, forcing communities into desperate exodus towards overcrowded cities and slums.


The Paradox of International Aid


The reflection also extends to the system of international aid, which instead of alleviating poverty, often reinforces cycles of dependency and corruption. The case of Madagascar highlights how, despite billions of dollars poured into aid, poverty has only increased, revealing the fallacy of a system that perpetuates itself without addressing the root causes of the problem.


A Call to Action


This article is not just a tale of suffering and abandonment; it is a call to action. It is an invitation to recognize shared humanity and collective responsibility in the face of injustices. Empathy and justice should know no bounds; the well-being of every child, in every corner of the world, should be an absolute priority.


In an era where indifference seems to be the norm, it is crucial to remember that the choices and actions of each of us can contribute to building a fairer world. Only then can we look at our reflection in the mirror without lowering our gaze, knowing that we have played our part in the fight against indifference and for the dignity of every human being.




The Surviving Economy: The Lifecycle of the Antananarivo Landfill


The Antananarivo landfill is not just a symbol of the environmental and humanitarian crisis plaguing Madagascar, but also a complex entity operating according to its own dynamics. Within this desperate ecosystem, approximately forty trucks unload new waste daily, welcomed as a godsend by those who depend on it for their livelihood. The lifecycle of the landfill sustains a chain of survival centered around scavengers. These individuals, armed with hope and desperation, dedicate themselves to collecting plastic, copper, and metals, turning each found piece into a small hope of earnings.


SAMVA, the entity responsible for managing Antananarivo's waste, faces an overwhelming reality of inadequate staff and funds, rendering its role almost symbolic in a context where rules seem dictated more by necessity and survival than by orderly and sustainable management. Some of the waste deposited here originates not only from the local population but also from private companies that, by evading their legal disposal obligations, add another layer of complexity and danger to the lives of those dependent on the landfill for survival.


Amidst the entropy of the landfill, stories emerge of people who, against all odds, seek to carve out a living from mountains of waste. This cycle of collecting and selling recyclable waste transforms into a kind of underground economy, where scavengers, through intermediaries, deliver approximately 600 kg of plastic per day in exchange for a sum that, though meager in the eyes of an outsider, represents a form of redemption in this context of despair. This system, vital though it may be for many, reflects the widespread inequalities and the lack of sustainable alternatives afflicting Madagascar and other parts of the world forgotten by global opulence..


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