Magtkampe, der har ført til flere kup, har forkrøblet Madagaskars økonomi og sendt ni ud af ti af landets indbyggere ned under fattigdomsgrænsen. Den hårdt ramte ø-stat i Det Indiske Ocean venter på hjælp fra udenlandske donorer, der dog ikke synes at have travlt.
ANTANANRIVO, 13 February 2014 (IRIN): The ups and downs of Madagascar’s political fortunes and crises have been reflected in the often uncertain livelihood and prospects of Vonjiniaina Eliane Rafanomezantsoa, 33.
In 2002, during the six-month post-election crisis between presidential contenders Didier Ratsiraka and Marc Ravalomanana, which split the island before it was resolved, the mother of three lost her job at a Chinese-owned textile company.
A year later she got a job at another textile firm, earning 104,000 Ariary (245 kroner) per month. It closed when the country lost its preferential trade status with the US as a member of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) following the 2009 coup d’etat that ousted Ravalomanana.
After the AGOA suspension the knock on effect was that many other businesses closed their doors, leaving as many as 200,000 people jobless in total, according to the trade association the Malagasy Groupement des Entreprises Franches et Partenaires (GEFP) – Group of Free Enterprises and Partners.
Since then Rafanomezantsoa occasionally does domestic work for 2 dollars a day (11 kroner). Her husband’s casual job in construction is also intermittent, and all but non-existent during the rainy season. Most people in Madagascar live on 2 dollars or less a day.
“Life was hard before, but it has become worse now. My children are now going to school and this costs money. Luckily, [I own my house, so] we don’t have to pay rent, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to survive at all,” she told IRIN.
“If Madagascar gets back its AGOA status, there might be more opportunities. Right now, you can’t find a job if you don’t have your baccalaureate [certificate for completing high school],” Rafanomezantsoa said.
Cautious optimism
Læs hele artiklen: http://www.irinnews.org/report/99637/when-will-the-donor-floodgates-open-for-madagascar
