To not miss any African news, subscribe to the newsletter of the World Africa from this link. Every Saturday at 6 a.m., find a week of news and debates covered by the editorial staff of the World Africa.
Right in the middle of the crowd, Perlette*, 45, is waiting for her bus, like every lunchtime. The seamstress lives 20 km from Antananarivo. So, to pay less, she has just made part of the journey on foot – that day, about ten kilometers through the city. “It allows me to save money to pay for the second bus ticket, because my campaign is too far away. But anyway, taking the bus in Tana is too long because of traffic jams. I prefer to walk”, she explains, modestly. Imperturbable amid the cries of the receivers and the donut sellers, she puts back in place a few strands of hair stuck together with sweat.
Since Monday, July 11, his bus ticket has cost 900 ariary (0.21 euro) instead of 700. A disaster for his home, already strangled by the increase in the price of basic necessities in Madagascar (oil, flour, sugar …). “Before, I was still getting by, Perlette remembers. In the morning, I could give bread, coffee and milk to my children, and a small snack in the afternoon. It’s been unthinkable for six months, I’m struggling to buy only rice. » Faced with the harshness of life, the 40-year-old decided a month ago to add another string to her bow: selling vegetables from her vegetable garden. But the increase in the price of fuel decided by the State, Sunday, July 10, transformed his project, originally supposed to serve him to build up a small savings, into a vital necessity. “We survive and we hope it passes”she summarizes.
An “inevitable” rise
“I paid 120,000 ariary [28 euros] instead of 100,000 to go to Diego-Suarez”, explains Brian*, 19, a first-year economics student at the University of Antananarivo. Sitting inside the taxi-brousse station, he fiddles with his sports bag while watching the display screen: another forty-eight hours on the road before finally finding his family after almost six months of studying in the capital. . “I understand that the price of the bus ticket is increasing, given the global context, he says, shrugging his shoulders. But you also have to see the standard of living in Madagascar, which is very low. The government should step in to protect people. That plus inflation, it’s hard, very hard. »
His father, a real estate agent, supports his family of eight and pays for the trip. “We have a good fixed income, concedes Brian, lucid. But I can’t say that we live peacefully. I am Muslim and we did Ramadan. We usually break the fast with lots of food, especially pancakes and pastries. But, with the sugar which increased, we had instead rice, tea, seafood… It was not the party as usual”, he explains, with a heavy heart. Brian is also preparing to come home less often to see his family, “given the price of the trip”.
You have 44.53% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.