With the entry into the month of March, the Malagasy people feel a little less oppressed. These first two months of the year have left a bitter taste in their mouths because they have gone through a particularly difficult period of their lives. For many of them, it was eight lean weeks where they felt like never before what a life of torment was like and where they were tormented by a cruel lack of resources. It’s a start to 2024 that will mark many households because they have suffered enormously. They start the month of March with a little more optimism, but they know that they must always remain economical with their money which can slip through their fingers very quickly.
The hope of an improvement after the lean period
At the end of the end of 2023 holidays, the average Malagasy was, as we say colloquially, penniless. He was, in most cases, riddled with debt and the little assets he had were quickly lost in their repayment. This situation was even more difficult to bear than in previous years because it was accompanied by the spiral of rising prices. Some have had to reduce their daily ration even further and be tormented by the fear of having to leave their accommodation because they cannot pay their rent. Residents of the Capital crossed streets where garbage piled up. Power and water cuts reappeared. However, they were not treated to any major natural calamities this year, with the Big Island being relatively spared during these first two months by cyclonic formations. The Malagasy people have shown unwavering patience in the face of these challenges. They are approaching this month of March with the hope of a slightly more lenient life. In Tana, the piles of garbage have decreased because the sweeping collection operation has started to have its effect. Cholera has not returned. The prices of everyday products such as rice, vegetables and meat are increasingly high. But, even if we are not expecting a miracle to occur, we can hope that an improvement will occur in March.
Patrice RABE
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