The Other Side

Life for most kids in America means clean clothes to put on in the morning, a free school they can go to, three good meals a day and plenty of safe water to drink. Life for most kids in Madagascar is very different.

They may only have one or two sets of clothing. There are not many schools to even go to. And even if there is a school the books and uniforms are not and that is money their family does not have. They work as farmers and animal herders. They do not have electricity. They eat rice or boiled roots two times a day, three if they are lucky. The water they drink and wash in does not come from a clean sink. It comes from dirty soiled rivers and wells. There are very few doctors to help them if they are sick. There are not many toys to play with besides stones, old tires, plastic grocery bags and beat-up homemade toys trucks. Even if they could get books, most cannot read. Or do math. Because they do not get enough calories, vitamins or minerals, they are shorter and skinnier than most of the kids their age in the world.

It is not a life you know. It is not a life I knew. But it is most certainly the life they know. And most bear it with dignity. They do not complain or whine. It is even possible to find smiles on the faces of the children near me who live behind dumpsters and spend their days picking through the trash to find scraps they can eat or empty bottles they can sell.

This is not an easy problem to solve, but it should most certainly not be ignored. Talk to your families and your teachers and ask about some ways that you or you class may be able to remember or help those that the world and fortune have forgotten.

[Students and Teachers: If you are interested in helping the children of Madagascar, please email me at chad_lebo@monet.prs.k12.nj.us about the opportunities to help kids at the children's home where I work, Akany Avoko.]

All of the photos on this post were taken by last weekend in the small town of Ibity, Madagascar. When looking at these photos, keep this in mind: compared to most of the country, this village is not a poor one. It has a primary school, a local cement factory and good farmland.