FOKO: 50 Years Of Independence Of Madagascar

Antananarivo, Madagascar. Image from Flickr by Luc Legay, used under a creative commons license

Antananarivo, Madagascar. Image from Flickr by Luc Legay, used under a Creative Commons license

Madagascar is approaching 50 years of independence this year. To mark the progress of the country Patrick of Rising Voices grantee FOKO Madagascar interviewed two elders from Madagascar on what Madagascar has become after 50 years of the independence.

Paul was only 13 when Madagascar got liberated on June 26, 1960. He says:

It was really hard to be colonized by another country. We may have lost all of what we have as a wealth even our own unique culture which is found nowhere else in this planet.

But he is not optimistic about the present situation:

Madagascar is always running into the bad way of development, you see “the poor is getting poorer and the rich is getting richer.”

Foko RanalinaRanalina (Maman’i Claudette) said:

When we got our freedom from French in 1960, we had our first republic which was headed by Tsiranana. [..] We were feeling much comfortable in the second republic but there was too much corruption and that is the main reason why our country running nonstop into the hell of the poverty. I think, (that) was (the time) when we started our strange politics.

She has these words to say about the future of Madagascar:

In my opinion, the only one key to get this country in a good health is the education. That’s all. Because it seems that jangle life still exists in this country. Also we should forgive, respect and tolerate to one another for the best future of our beautiful country.

Imahaka reports that the journalism school ESSVA at Antiserabe conducted a campaign of H1N1 virus which already infected several hundred people from Madagascar. The post describes how the students danced on the podium to attract the crowd. They used puppet shows and other outreach activities to spread the word about how to prevent the H1N1 influenza virus. Here is the group photo of the triumphant students.

Mission Accomplished! Photo by ESSVA

Mission Accomplished! Photo by ESSVA

Ariniaina at Dago Tiako discovers that some Malagasy bank notes had been issued without the Governor's sign.

I think that the current banknotes are not fake but the Central Bank of Madagascar has failed to make an official announcement concerning the change.

Last but not the least Tahina posts videos of some oldies songs from Madagascar.

Read more from FOKO Bloggers.

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