Children under slave-like conditions: mica mines in Madagascar!

Children under slave-like conditions: mica mines in Madagascar!

in the island state of Madagascar, which is located east of South Africa, tens of thousands of people, including many children, fight under slave-like conditions in mica mines. These grievances were shown by the papal mission "Missio". Children worked in over 176 mines every day, while their families only receive five cents for one kilogram of mica. In contrast to this, the mineral, which is particularly popular in the technology and cosmetics industry, is sold in China for up to 12 euros- a price surcharge of more than 5,600 percent, as "Missio" emphasizes. In order to break through this vicious circle, "Missio", led by Father Karl Wallner, plans to set up school projects in the region, the construction of a well for clean drinking water and medical care for the most needy families. "If we succeed, this nightmare will end," explains Father Christian, who is committed to improving living conditions in Madagascar.

catastrophic living conditions

Madagascar is considered the largest exporter of Mica worldwide, which creates primarily glittering elements in cosmetics and varnishes. But the reality of life of the population looks far less glossy: around nine tenths of the 30 million inhabitants live in extreme poverty, many are illiterate and have no access to clean drinking water. As part of the “Sunday of the World Mission” on October 20, “Missio” also supports environmental projects in order to further improve living conditions. The local organization Vozama has planted a million trees in recent years to counter the devastating environmental damage. These actions are part of a comprehensive initiative that tries to open up new perspectives to the minkies through education and at the same time to protect the environment.

The "World Mission Sunday" campaign offers a platform to collect donations that benefit from school and environmental projects. This is not only perceived as an act of solidarity, but also as the greatest worldwide call to help for the poorest countries in the global south. Father Karl Wallner explains that sustainable help is necessary through prayers and donations in order to significantly improve the living conditions of the people in Madagascar, while he points out the need to support support from the global Catholic community, as "katholisch.at" reports.