The face of poverty

A recent survey on 153 countries worldwide looked at their citizens' generosity, including donations, volunteering and giving help to strangers. Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland ranked at the top, while France (former colonial masters of Madagascar) was 91st. Madagascar came in last. Not of the poorest countries in the world (which we already know to be the case) but the least generous!

Sure, people here are bitterly poor - the majority of the population living on less than a dollar a day. Foreign aid has virtually dried up in the last year and a half, work is hard to come by, food is becoming more expensive and politicians are apparently helping themselves to as much of the nation's remaining riches as they can. But does being poor give people an excuse to be stingy, uncharitable to their neighbours, and living almost-permanently in a beggar's mentality as so many here do? And what does this do to one's psyche, to one's inner being?

I might sound negative, but I'm not. Malagasies are a wonderful, friendly people at heart who deserve better ... better than looking to the vazahas (foreigners) for their salvation, more joy in learning to give and care for those in equally-dire straits, better and freer family relationships ...

I have been very challenged too. Am I allowing money and charity to flow through me, or am I like Gollum, hoarding and hissing "mine, mine" as I worry about how to pay for tomorrow? Jesus taught us that we were valuable and that our Father knows what we need already; that He provides. It's not easy to change a mindset, I know! But may we all grow in faith and charity in the coming days, weeks and months, whatever our circumstances and standing. 

I have many more thoughts on this but for the sake of your sanity and time, I'll let the pictures from my neighbourhood tell a little tale of this wonderful, mad, paradoxical town of ours.