Then, on January 6th, 7 prisoners fled from the Toamasina prison, a coastal city 370 km east of the capital, only to be followed by the escape of 11 detainees in Betroka, 720 km South of Antananarivo. For those of you keeping count, that's 40 inmates at large, from 3 different prisons, within 48 hours.

Malagasy bloggers, using sarcasm, probably as a remedy for fear, did not miss the obvious pop culture reference to the TV hit series, “Prison Break”, also quite popular in Madagascar.

The series of escapes highlights Madagascar's public security problems on the eve of the appointment of a new minister of the interior.

Jentilisa posts a sarcastic cartoon about the escapes, and wonders if they are just a coincidence (mg):

Heverina ho misy ny atidoha nikotrika ny raharaha ary olona ivelan'ny voafonja ny atidoha, satria tsy tokony hanana finday na fitaovan-tserasera hafa ireo voafonja ireo handosirana tao anatin'ny indray alina. Tarataratra ho fitadiavana hanakorontanana ny firenena amin'ny alalan'ny tsy filaminana no tanjona na fanindriana ankolaka ny olona tsy hihetsika satria hanampy isa ireo olona natao hanakorontana fotsiny (A qui profite le crime?). Hisy raharaha ity volana Janoary sy ny tohiny ity izany koa!

Andry @The Cyber Observer points out that the Tsiafahy prison is where most political prisoners from 2002 are kept (note: in 2002, riots in Madagascar broke out when the presidential elections between Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana led to a political impasse):

Most of the prisoners who are detained there, are dangerous criminals sentenced to death or to long term detentions. It is also the prison of almost all the “political” prisoners who have been convicted to crime and attempt against the security of Madagascar during the crisis of 2002

Arinaina @ Dagotiako also struggles to understand how this can happen and fears for his safety:

People are frightened (as I am) because those prisoners of Tsiafahy are very dangerous ones, only “big” criminals. But how such escape could happen? Didn’t the wardens check the inmates list before closing each room of the prison in the evening?

Andry is not only outraged at the incompetence of the prison wardens, he is even angrier at the lack of information provided by the media**:

There is a real problem of communication, as I stated earlier because starting from 10.00am to 07.00pm, no TVs, no radios reported the event.
It then means that almost everybody knew nothing about the danger till TVM (Madagascar National TV) announced it at 07.00pm.
Why such silence? Is it because of a lack of professionalism from private Malagasy journalists? Is it due to an “imposed” silence from public medias and TVs and radios which follow the political tendency of the Malagasy State?
A good journalist, as far as I know, is a person who always seek for any news, and who straightly reports them to the public. Such duty has to be done regardless of political membership.
I have the feeling that journalists from public medias and medias which follow the governmental trend, knew the event at the same time or before me. I suspect that they all had been obliged to keep the news silent, in order to maintain the public order and to avoid any massive move of panic. If it is really the truth, I consider such decision as completely irresponsible and even criminal. Criminal because Malagasy citizens have also the right to protect themselves against any threat; how can you protect yourself and your loved ones if you do not even know the danger you face?

( **Note: a comment noted that a report on national television was issued about the first escape at 12 PM on Jan 4th.)

Lomelle notes that the political climate of the country and the economic crisis does not need additional drama (fr):

le climat politique de Madagascar est tendu et la prévision annonce une sacrée tempête. Redoutons cela car on n’a pas besoin d’une tempête de plus en cette période de crise que nous passons.

gazetyavylavitra points out the Tsiafahy prison was supposed to be the unbreakable Fort Knox of Madagascar and yet (mg):

Raha i Tsiafahy, solon’i Nosilava, lazaina fa maison de force sy isan’ny tena azo antoka indrindra amin’ny fonja, ankoatra ny ao Arivonimamo, izay natao ihany koa hametrahana ireo heverina fa fahavalom-bahoaka sy tena atahorana aza moa vaky efa ho in-telo be izao izao [amin'ny fomba mampihomehy ihany]

Photo of a site on the Tamatave-Tananarive road by foko_madagascar

The most recent putative deal reported in the Guardian and the Daily Nation has Kenya leasing out 40,000 hectares (about 100,000 acres) to Qatar. In exchange for the land, Qatar would fund construction of a new Sh2.4 billion port on Lamu island.

The deal drew the ire of Opalo, Kenyan blogger at Opalo's blog, who fears a new kind of colonialism is taking shape:

So what happens after we’ve parceled off most of Kenya to Qatar, China, India, UAE, the Saudis and just about anyone willing to pay the goons that we’ve entrusted with our political leadership? Are we gonna become squatters again? Are we gonna start being called “boy” again?

He adds:

“And where exactly are the Kenyan millionaires? Can’t they afford to invest in such ventures? What are they waiting for?”

Malagasy bloggers are still reeling from the Korean deal that almost was. SEFAFI, a Malagasy diaspora association in France, organized a think-tank to discuss best practice policies with respect to land management in Madagascar. On a Yahoo forum about Madagascar, SEFAFI posts an essay that revisits the failed deal and what can be learned from it (fr):

Les démentis officiels n’ont cependant pas levé toutes les
appréhensions. Vraies ou fausses informations, des leçons doivent être
tirées de l’affaire Daewoo. La première leçon à en tirer est, une fois
de plus, le manque de transparence pour des opérations qui engagent les
ressources naturelles du pays. La prétendue gratuité du bail de 99 ans
ou même une éventuelle contrepartie sous forme d’infrastructures ne fait
qu’aviver les soupçons d’existence de contreparties secrètes au profit
d’intérêts particuliers et au détriment de la collectivité nationale.

SEFAFI sees a problem that is beyond economics or means of production. SEFAFI points out that the 70% of the population in Madagascar live in the rural area. Because farmers are fiercely attached to their way of life, they are reluctant to utilize mass means of production and such blockbuster deals neglect to take into consideration the true interests of the farmers. The article advocates for a progressive reform (fr):

Si l’objectif est bien de donner à l’ensemble du monde rural les moyens de gérer son propre avenir, les opérations ponctuelles de fermes pilotes ou d’élevages modèles, gérées par des groupes étrangers soucieux des paysans malgaches et donc respectueux d’une véritable démarche sociétale, seront les bienvenues. Sans empiéter sur les terres des paysans ni aliéner le patrimoine national, elles pourraient devenir un facteur d’entraînement et préfigurer ainsi l’agriculture malgache de demain

On the same yahoo forum, Gazety Nosintsika quotes an article from the newspaper Le Monde that cites a report by Olivier De Schutter, Special Investigator to the UN for the Rights to Food, on globalization, trade and its impact on the food shortage. The report points out that the current situation is quite precarious for  agriculture in the developing world because the dependence on exports is gradually increasing (fr):

On leur a promis qu'avec les devises ainsi engrangées, ils pourraient importer de quoi nourrir leur population pour un prix inférieur à ce qu'ils auraient pu produire eux-mêmes. Problème : on a engendré leur dépendance par rapport à des indices boursiers de plus en plus volatils. Après une baisse des cours de leurs produits, ils ne peuvent plus payer leurs importations, dont la valeur a, elle, été parfois multipliée par cinq ou six.

Finally, Taru Taylor reacting from South Korea to the Daewoo Deal has a unique take on the land deal:

Although not contemporaries like Jefferson and Hamilton, Choe Cheu and Park Chung-hee are the grand interlocutors of Korean destiny. Tonghak is one portal; imperialism is the other. The “Republic of Korea” and “Imperial Korea” are the terms of the debate between the agrarian hero and the capitalist dictator. The beef protests argue for Choe Cheu; for Tonghak; for Korea as Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight. But the Madagascar deal argues for Park Chung-hee; for Imperial Korea; for Korea as Anakin Skywalker nee Sith Lord Darth Vader.

The play, co-produced by CulturesFrance, was to supposed to be performed in Alliance Française cultural centers in Comoros, Mauritius, Reunion and elsewhere, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since withdrawn from the agreement.

March 29, 1947 brings back traumatic memories to many older Malagasy citizens. It is the day the French army violently crushed one of the first struggles for independence in their former colonial empire. The uprising resulted in the death of 30,000 to 100,000 people (the actual number of casualties is still being discussed among historians).

Despite recognition of the massacre as a war crime in 1951 and of unacceptable repression in 2005 by the French government, the 1947 events are still relatively unknown both in Madagascar and internationally. To shed more light on the tragedy, a renowned Malagasy writer, Jean-Luc Raharimanana and a French director, Thierry Bedard,  came together to produce a play entitled “47” (fr) that reenacts the unfolding of the events, and discusses the complex relation between colonial rulers and the indigenous population.

Below is a short clip from the play:

After a few performances in two French metropolitan cities, further performances in the southern Africa and the Indian Ocean have been cancelled (fr) by the French Department of Foreign Affairs and Development.

The creator of the play, Jean-Luc Raharimanana, reacts strongly to the decision on the Rue89 blog (fr):

Silence pèse sur la mémoire. Les langues se délient. Des hommes et des femmes voudront comprendre. Dans ce désir, réel cette fois-ci, de vivre ensemble[..] Pourquoi en 47, deux ans après le carnage, deux ans après le « plus jamais ça», pourquoi à Madagascar s’est perpétré l’un des plus grands massacres coloniaux ? [..] C’est ce silence qu’explore le spectacle “47″. Une histoire commune. Violente. Sensible. Un théâtre qui nous ramène dans ce désir de vivre ensemble, de comprendre ce qui a déchiré, les corps malmenés et torturés, les paroles étouffés et les non-dits qui corrompent les âmes.[..] Mais ainsi en a décidé le “bureau politique” de la DGCID1. Censure sur le spectacle. Interdiction d’emmener cette parole dans les centres culturels africains et alliances françaises. [..] Mais la mémoire se moque bien de la censure même si c’est une censure d’Etat. Le désir est profond de comprendre d’autant plus que nous avons maintenant le recul nécessaire pour tout entendre, pour enfin échanger.

A few bloggers reported news of the ban on their blogs. Reactions in the comment section of the entry by Raharimanana vary between indifference and outrage.

A few, do not see the need to rehash the past. Mechante Langue asks (fr):

Ne jouez pas les faux martyrs. Sinon serieusement vous croyez vraiment que la chose la plus importante à denoncer a Madagascar aujourd hui , ce sont les massacres de 47 ..sérieusement ?

To which Monsieur Lambda replies (fr):

Il vous échappe manifestement que ces massacres sont, dans une large mesure, fondateurs de la conscience nationale des Malgaches et qu’ils occupent, du point de vue de la mythologie nationale, une place comparable à celle de la prise de la Bastille pour les Français.

Juan Pablo de Tagéna thinks that Malagasy people may rethink whether the colonial struggle was worth it (fr):

Aujourd’hui les Malgaches ne demanderaient pas leur indépendance: ils seraient à 99% pour le maintien dans la Communauté Française.

On  facebook, a private conversation thread that discusses the ban, Soaray Rabarimampianina (quoted with permission) thinks that there is still much to be done for that part of history to be discussed openly.

Il y a bien du chemin à parcourir avant que la France accepte cette partie de son histoire qu'est la colonisation.

In the same thread, Tsilavina Ralaindimby points out that when discussing the colonial period, one should never forget the soldiers form the colony who fought for France in both world wars (fr):

C'est un documentaire sur les Tirailleurs Malagaches qui sont venus pour se battre au nomb de la France en 14/18 et dont beaucoup sont morts là-bas. A Menton [..] il y a là-bas un cimetière avec toute une rangée de tombes de soldats malgaches.

Jentilisa contributed links and references for this post.

Sipagasy reminds us that requesting one's partner to use protection during sexual activity is an act of love (mg):

Mahagaga tokoa mantsy fa araka ny hita @izy ireny dia misy ny mieritreritra fa dia hoe mahamenatra hono ny manontany ‘fimailo’ @ ilay olona miaraka aminy!! amiko anisan’ny porofom-pitiavana izany, satria miaro azy sy miaro ny tenanao ianao

Ikala asks her readers whether they are absolutely positive about their HIV status. She invites her readers to get tested and quotes a telling statistic (fr):

Selon les derniers chiffres rendus publics par l’InVS, 6 500 personnes ont découvert leur séropositivité en 2007. Presque une personne sur trois vivant avec le VIH ignore encore sa séropositivité. Le sida existe toujours, malgré les progrès récents qui permettent de mieux soigner cette maladie et d’améliorer la qualité de vie des séropositifs

Pati assesses how much progress were actually made . She acknowledges a widespread awareness of HIV but wonders whether we are keeping our promises(fr):

Pendant que d’autres refusent de se faire dépistés et de connaître leur situation par rapport au VIH/SIDA, des ateliers ne s’arrêtent d’être organisés […] Même jusqu’aux zones les plus enclavées de l’île, on en parle,on fait des sensibilisations sur mais la même question se pose, où en sommes nous?! […] je ne vais pas faire de sensibilisation car je crois que ce n’est plus la peine de répéter tout le temps ce que tout le monde connaît par cœur […] Mais je pense que ce qui reste à faire c’est de rappeler à tout le monde que par rapport à ce qu’ils savent, ils ont leur devoirs.

Tomavana wants everyone to remember that discrimination against HIV + people is still strong:

don’t pick the wrong fight: exclude AIDS, not HIV-positive people. 

With respect to fighting for the right of HIV-positive people, the FIMIZORE association for the protection of the rights of sex workers and homosexuals in Madagascar created a new blog to document their actions.

For more information, please visit Global Voices' special coverage page for World AIDS Day 2008.

Here is an overview of what is know so far.

On November 19, the Financial Times reported on the deal between South Korean company Daewoo Logistics and the Malagasy government.

On the Global Dashboard blog, Alex Evans summarizes the findings:

South Korea has just struck a 99 year deal with Madagascar to lease an area half the size of Belgium to grow palm oil and no less than half of South Korea’s corn demands [..] Carl Atkins, of consultants Bidwells Agribusiness, said Daewoo Logistics' investment in Madagascar was the largest it had seen. “The project does not surprise me, as countries are looking to improve food security but its size it does surprise me.”

A few hours later, a follow-up article in the Financial Times added that Daewoo Logistics would not have to pay fees for the lease, but would instead provide the means to allow exploitation and development of the land.

Alex Evans, quoting from the second article, says it's even worse news than he thought:

A few hours later, a truly astonishing new angle on the story emerged. Guess how much South Korea had paid for its 99 year lease? Answer: Zip. Zero. Nada. Not a cent. The sum total of the benefits for Madagascar, according to a Daewoo spokesman? “We will provide jobs for them by farming it, which is good for Madagascar.” This in a country where 3.5% of people are on WFP food aid…
The benefits for South Korea, on the other hand:
“We want to plant corn there to ensure our food security. Food can be a weapon in this world,” said Hong Jong-wan, a manager at Daewoo. “We can either export the harvests to other countries or ship them back to Korea in case of a food crisis.”

Photo by Foko-Madagascar

The Malagasy government has yet to release an official statement on the issue. Reuters reports that the deal is far from being finalized. Daewoo Logistics, however, has issued several statements that contest the veracity of the articles.

Robert Koelher, blogging from Seoul at The Marmot’s Hole, explains the points of contentions from the South Korean company:

In another report, the Maeil Gyeongje said experts believe the FT report, with its provocative talk of “neo-colonialism” and “pirates,” was intended as a warning against an increased Asian presence in Africa, long considered Europe’s backyard. The piece did include a quote from a Daewoo Logistics official, however, who said Madagascar was quite sensitive about this issue because when China invests, it only goes after its own profits [..]
The JoongAng Ilbo, meanwhile, released an editorial blasting the FT, asking why the paper was turning a blind eye to British Jatropha farms in Madagascar (used for biodiesel fuel) and French plantations on the island while going after a Korean company only. And besides, the land Daewoo is acquiring is undeveloped, the new farms will provide employment, and the Madagascar government will be taking a 30% cut of the farm profits in taxes.”

Reactions to news of the land deal were heated and diverse in the Malagasy blogosphere:

The Malagasy diaspora website Sobika reported on the deal (Fr) moments after the Financial Times and asked their readers to react. Over 100 comments were posted on the articles within a few days. In a follow-up article, Sokiba speculates that the outrage expressed on the internet has led the company deny the conditions of the deal [Fr].

The outrage is far from being unanimous though. Some bloggers feel that the land deal could benefit Madagascar by increasing productivity on parts of the land. Aiky on the community blog Malagasy Miray adds [Mg]:

Ny tombontsoa indray kosa raha jerena amin’ny saina tsy miangatra dia :
- ny fanomezana asa ireo tantsaha eny ambanivohitra ka miteraka fidiram-bola maharitra ho azy ireo izany.
- ny fanajariana ireo tany izay tsy noeritreretina fa afaka ambolena na ihany koa tany ngazana ka rahatrizay vita ny fifanarahana izany hoe afaka zato taona dia mba ho moramora ho an’ireo taranaka fara aman-dimby ny hampiasa sy hamboly azy (raha tsy lasa fanan’olom-bitsy indray avy eo)
- raha misy fidiram-bola maharitra ireo tantsaha dia mety ho hita ihany koa ny fiatraikan’izany ka mahasoa ho an’ny manodidina na “effet d’entraînement”. […]
-Asa na tafiditra ao anaty fifanarahana fa mety hihatsara ihany koa ireo lalana sy tambanjotra misy any amin’ireo faritra.
- afaka mifehy ny fiakarana an-tanandehibe ny mpitondra raha misy asa eny ambanivohitra (maîtrise de l’exode rural)

On The Cyber Observer, a lawyer and blogger in Antananarivo, Andrydago, had the the amazing foresight to raise the legal issue of the sovereignty of land and foreign investment in October, a full month before this controversy. It is striking that the laws that make this lease permissible were amended earlier this year:

Recently, the new Malagasy investment law: act 2007-036 of January 14th, 2008, has brought a very key change concerning the possibility for foreigners to own their land in Madagascar. This law provided that foreign companies or foreign investors (individuals who have been granted with investor visa), can buy Malagasy land under the following conditions:

1. the land has to be used exclusively for professional exploitation. Any personal use and exploitation which is different from the nature of exploitation he “promised” to the Malagasy governement, are forbidden. If there is a breach of such condition, the governement can legally withdraw its title of land ownership;

2. the foreign company or investor has to submit its business plan (investment planning in Madagascar) to a public body named EDBM (Economic Development Board Madagascar). Such plan has to describe and detail its intended business and its pertaining investment in Madagascar;

3. the foreign company or investor has to apply for a formal approval named “authorization for land acquisition” before the EDBM in order to be allowed to purchase legally a Malagasy land. Such authorization if granted, gives to the foreign company or investor the same rights as for a Malagasy entity to purchase and to own land in Madagascar.

However, a positive outlook is sometimes just not possible when harsh economic conditions strike. In the past week, Malagasy bloggers could not escape discussing the harsh reality of endemic poverty that affects the vast majority of the population. Here are a few examples of how poverty has cornered many communities into difficult decisions.

Patricia, Foko blogger who recently had the opportunity to speak at the Interdependence day in Brussels, reports cases of teenage girls who are put up for sale by their parents (fr)

Pour certains, les parents et la jeune fille se mettent d’accord pour la personne qui va acheter la jeune fille et pour la somme ou le cadeau en échange. Il faut préciser que la personne qui achète n’est pas forcement un étranger mais c’est seulement ce qui se présente dans la plupart des cas. Pour d’autres, cela se présente sous forme d’ordre, les parents ordonnent et la jeune fille obéit!
Le dernier cas qui a été publie est celui d’une jeune mineure de 15 ans qui a été offerte a un étranger pour 200.000 Ariary. Il lui a meme promis le mariage, mais après avoir ete avec elle une nuit et l’avoir deviergee, il lui a remise entre les mains de son pere.
Cette histoire n’est qu’une parmi les cas identiques qui se présentent dans l’île.

( photo credit to Hebdo de Madagascar and Foko )

News2dago confirms that the dream of trying to wed a foreigner is peaking drastically (mg):

Tonga eto Madagasikara ireo mpanera vazaha ka nampiantso ireo malagasy te hanambady vazaha. Gaga fotsiny aho nahita ity tantitra an-gazety fa mahery ny 4.000 izy ireo no milingilingy te hanambady vazaha. Ary voalaza fa arahan-dranomaso mihitsy oe ireo izay tsy lany. Indrisy tokoa fa dia hitomanina ankehitriny ny hanambady vazaha.

In the comment section, many bloggers reacted to the story. Tritriva notes that it’s not only women who are seeking to wed a foreigner. Sylvie says that marrying a foreigner is not bad but make sure that he does not have children from a previous union because they will never respect you and your spouse will always take his children’s side. Maintikely argues that one should not be too prompt to judge and respect the women’s choices. She warns that life overseas may not be as ideal as they think it would be.

Lomelle, blogger of foko-Mahajanga, witnessed another sad aspect of poverty. She recalls (fr):

On avait été contacté pour faire un reportage à Andralanitra. Rondro et moi y sommes allé sans trop savoir ce qui nous attendait sur place. Tout ce qu’on savait c’est que c’était un reportage sur les ordures [..] Un camion à ordure roulait devant notre voiture au moment où on s’est rapproché de l’endroit. Arrivé à sa destination il a renversé toutes les ordures et à ce moment là une quelque trentaines de personnes se sont ruées sur les ordures [..] Ecœurement, c’est le seul mot qui puisse définir ce que j’ai ressenti à ce moment là. Ecœurement pour toute ces personnes qui n’ont que les ordures pour vivre [..] Ecoeurement pour l’attitude répulsive que j’avais adopté à ce moment là. Je me suis cru être une fille ouverte d’esprit,n’ayant ni préjugé, ni jugement. Pourtant devant ce spectacle je n’avais qu’une seule envie, me tirer de là et me detacher de ces gens.”

Micramia has a different take on the poverty issue and its perception. He explains that poverty is not an incurable disease (fr):

Si vous arrivez encore à manger normalement chaque jour, vous n’êtes pas pauvre. Mais la pauvreté est curable. À mon avis la pauvreté est en faite due au manque d’intelligence. Seul les gens qui n’utilisent pas leur coco n’arrivent pas aller loin. Il sont pauvre intellectuellement et si on n’a rien dans la tête, comment avoir de l’argent pour acheter de quoi manger [..] la solution c’est de se cultiver, augmenter ces connaissances.

So will the economic crisis affect Madagascar and how ? Madagascan explains (fr) :

En conclusion, oui, Madagascar sera inévitablement impactée par la crise internationale actuelle. D'une part parce qu'il est prévisible que les Etats resserrent leurs aides aux pays pauvres, d'autre part parce que les grands projets actuels dans le pays auront probablement des problèmes de capacité d'investissement très rapidement, et enfin parce qu'une source importante de richesse du pays, le tourisme, sera fatalement affecté

Randy do it, a national Malagasy journalist and blogger, provides a “how the marketplace works for beginners” by using an analogy that involves a fictional rural market place trading monkeys (fr):

Dès lors qu’il a le dos tourné, son assistant rassemble les villageois et leur indique les cages, avec les milliers de singes que leur a achetés son patron “Si vous le voulez, leur dit-il, moi, je vous cède ces singes à 35 dollars l’unité. Ainsi, lorsque mon patron reviendra, vous pourrez les lui revendre à 50 dollars. » Les villageois, aveuglés par la perspective de cet enrichissement facile, sortent toutes leurs économies, vendent leurs biens pour racheter les singes. Le magot encaissé, l’assistant disparaît dans la nuit. On ne le verra plus. Ni lui, ni son patron. Dans le village, rien que des singes, courant dans tous les sens. Et Nadim Kalife de conclure son histoire par un édifiant : « Bienvenue dans le monde de la Bourse ! » Eh, oui ! Il y a quelque chose d’aventureux à vendre un singe à dix dollars, puis à le racheter à 35 dollars, en espérant le vendre une seconde fois à 50 dollars.

Finally, Moonlight girl, new blogger from Antanarivo, tells a sobering story of the consequence of extreme poverty and how it affect health care for many in Madagascar. She recalls a recent encounter in a bus in Antananarivo:

She started to cry and tell me that she just gave birth 2 days ago at a famous public hospital. She was poor and didn’t have the money to buy medicine for the baby who suddenly became sick. At this hospital, if you can’t buy the medicines you need, it means you’re waiting for death. They don’t care about the person’s situation. So her baby died, and this woman didn’t have money to take him back home. She lived at Ambatofotsy , which is very far from town. Taking a taxi to those places , will cost a fortune. Now, she’s going to her sister’s house at Ambohipo; to take her child. I was heartbroken and terrified at the same time, thinking about this woman carrying her dead baby around. The driver’s aid, was very angry and started to yell at the woman, and forced her out the bus. He said, that she did something very taboo, about letting a dead be among the living. The poor woman just left the bus, not wanting to cause anymore trouble.

The role of the diaspora in the development of Madagascar has been discussed previously in the Malagasy blogosphere. Bloggers recently discussed the impact of living abroad on the behavior of Malagasies and how it alters their relationships with their friends and relatives back home.

News2dago narrates how a close friendship with an old friend from school slowly vanished because that friend left for France:

“Nisy ranamana izay niray dabilio tamiko ary tena akama be mihitsy izy io tany @ taona 1992 tany ho any izahay no nihaona farany rehefa azo moa ny Bacc dia nanam-bitana ranamana ka lasa tany frantsa nanohy ny fianarany. Ny tena moa dia teto @ tanana ihany safidy moa io tsy misy omena tsiny mihitsy. Nivadika teny ihany ny volana sy ny taona tsy dia henoheno intsony ranamana taty aorina fa misy inona ary olona sendra nahalala azy no niteny tamiko oe nanam-bady izy! Ny tena moa manoratra email ihany fa tsy misy valiny intsony e!”

I had a good friend throughout high school. He was my benchmate. I last saw in 1992 after we both received the baccalaureat ( high school diploma), my friend got lucky and pursued his college studies in France. I chose to stay back home, a personal decision, no one to blame here. Years went by and news from my friend, initially frequently received, gradually faded away. One day I learned from a common acquaintance that he actually got married. I kept sending him emails but to no avail.

News2dago adds that he too had a chance to go to France in 2005 but after careful consideration, decided to stay at home. He cites a few reasons: the camaraderie seems lost among Malagasy people once in France, everyone for himself, no bonding over playing cards, plus he used the money to move abroad to create his own current project. “This is better than having to deal with those guys abroad with their fancy diplomas.”

He adds:

“Ny namana taloha ary ity toa mody fanina izany satria niantso azy efa in-3 aho t@ izany fotoana izany dia noraisiny t@ voalohany nandeha ny resaka ary natsidiko ny teny hoe “hibôsy kely any @ lisany any lesy aho raha sitram-po ny Tompo a”, “hay ve hoy ranamana”, “miantso anla ihany aho rehefa tena tapa-kevitra e”. Nanomboka teo dia lasa messagerie vocal foana ny finday-n'ilay ranamana”

I called him once to chat a bit and reminisce. I told him that god's willing, I might go there for work and be one of you guys. “Oh really ?” he replied then. Since I said those words, whenever I call him, I always get his voicemail.

In a related story, news2dago said that his niece came back to Madagascar from France to get married with a fellow Malagasy she met there. They had th whole wedding planned to the T, even bringing a professional photographer from France. They asked to use his internet connection to plan their holidays to Mahajanga after the wedding. Yet they did not deem necessary to say goodbye when they left the country back to France. Living abroad really does change a man.

Reacting to the story, Ravatorano believes that feigning indifference or ignoring former friends is not limited to compatriots abroad. However, he believes it is a minimum to respect people who helped you out. Simp quipped: ” Forgive them for they are only human… good deeds are the seeds of good fortune and bad deeds are like karmic Damocles sword.”
lehilahytsyresy gives a possible explanation for forsaking real friendship for utilitarian friendship (mg):

“Rehefa voaporitra mafy ao anaty fiaraha-monina gejain'ny concurrence ady-saritaka isan'andro isan' andro izy, dia normal raha toa ka raiki-tapisaka ao an-tsainy koa izay fomba fisainana “namana-raha-misy-patsa” izay, mba hahafahany mi-survivre. Rehefa avy eo koa anefa, dia tsy afaka intsony ilay toetra ka na dia ny havana koa aza, dia lasa anaovana “havako-raha-misy-patsa”.

“When Malagasy abroad are squeezed by the reality of life abroad, rugged competition and everyday life stress, it's normal that the “friendship if rich” attitude prevails, it's necessary for survival. However, that behavior becomes ingrained into them so even with relatives, it eventually becomes “related if loaded”.