Dear Sisters and Family of the Incarnation,
The Missionary Reality of Madagascar, would like to introduce you to injustice in the world of work in Madagascar : a human cry for dignity. Human dignity, a sacred gift and reflection of God’s image, sometimes seems to be trampled underfoot in a world where men chase after profit. In Madagascar, an island blessed by a generous nature, injustice in the world of work is a gaping wound, a scandal that challenges everyone’s conscience. In this letter, we wish to cast a hopeful eye on an often-cruel reality, while calling for justice and charity.
The faces of injustice
Working life in Madagascar is marked by glaring disparities, reflecting deep-seated economic and social inequalities. On the one hand, there are those who live in the comfort of air-conditioned offices, enjoying benefits and stable salaries. On the other, calloused workers toil from morning to night for a few ariary, barely enough to feed their families. This duality, far from being inevitable, is often the consequence of an unfair system that favours the powerful and neglects the weak.
Let’s take the example of the thousands of men and women who work in free trade zones, manufacturing garments for export abroad. For them, the day begins before sunrise and ends late at night. Their wages, often below the subsistence minimum, are barely enough to buy rice and a few vegetables. Added to this is the absence of social security, health insurance or paid vacations. Can we still speak of human dignity in such conditions ?
Another poignant example is that of child workers. In Madagascar, many of them, instead of playing or studying, are employed as domestic servants or in the fields. These little faces betray a tiredness and sadness that have no place in the innocence of childhood. All too soon, they bear the burden of responsibility and deprivation.
A path of light
The road to a more just and fraternal society is long and full of pitfalls. But in Madagascar, as elsewhere, the light of the Gospel guides us. Every action, however small, carried out with love, can transform a life. Every gesture of justice, however modest, brings our world closer to the Kingdom of God.
So let us rise. Together, let us walk this path of justice, with faith as our shield and hope as our star. And let us always remember Christ’s words : “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40).
May we, in our lives and hearts, be builders of a world where work is a source of joy and dignity, not a burden. Amen.
Madagascar Internacional Ecological Commission UdJ December 1st, 2024
