Visiting A Slum In Antananarivo, Madagascar 🇲🇬 (Photo Gallery)
- Konrad Tillman
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
Intro
Chilling out in my guide's house and enjoying some THB beer, my guide asked me if I wanted to walk around the local slum across the bridge. As someone who likes to see the real side to a country, call me a poverty tourist if you want, I immediately said yes.
My gosh, these are the moments when traveling that you live for. Walking along the street, talking broken French with locals, and laughing along while attempting to buy a car bumper. This right here is the reason that I travel, not to see the lions in South Africa, but to be around the kindest souls on the planet.
What's It Like?
I have visited my fair share of slums across Africa, including the likes of Nigeria (Makoko), and one in Juba, South Sudan. It's always heart-wrenching walking through places filled with trash, seeing children play in tires, and the pain you can see in many of the local's eyes. Antananarivo was no different, although it was slightly better than Makoko as an example.
You can buy anything and everything here, I truly mean that. If you want an iPhone for 15$ that barely works, not an issue. You want parts for your car? Not an issue. If you want to collect recycling for money? Not an issue. It's spectacular to see these places in real life, and see how a lot of Africans live. We forget about this continent in the West, when it is well and truly the most beautiful continent in the world.
But to me, what stood out was when I asked a mother if I could take a picture of their kids. "Est-ce-que je peux un photo sil vous plait", and while I don't speak Madagasi, thankfully she spoke French and laughed back, saying yes. It's moments like these that speak to your soul and make you question every privileged decision you've made in life. Even sitting at a drive-through, sometimes we don't appreciate how lucky we are. To have a proper bed is a luxury...
Heck, even when I went to write "Children play inside tires", Grammarly tried to autocorrect it to "children play inside, tires..." and that shows how this is something a lot of us don't understand. I wrote something powerful about this place, which really describes what I witnessed:
You might not see them on postcards. You definitely will not see them in brochures. The world turns its back, the headlines look away, and the privileged scroll past. But I have SEEN them.
Children laughing in the dust. Mothers offering all they have to a stranger. Fathers building dreams with bare hands and broken tools. Hearts full. Wallets empty. Spirits unshaken.
THEY ARE NOT POOR — IN FACT THEY ARE RICH, IN THEIR HEARTS
These are the people with gold in their souls. Their kindness is louder than any war. Their dignity stands taller than any skyline.
This is not charity. This is not pity. This is recognition. This is TRUTH. This is humanity, unfiltered.
Welcome to the real side of Africa, and the most beautiful part of humanity ❤️
Final Thoughts
Part of the reason why I write this blog is to show the real side of the country, not just sitting on a beach in Nossi Be, or visiting the lemurs in Andasibe, but showing people that real travel is going out of your comfort zone and into someone else's. The beauty lies where it isn't seen. So, if you happen to be heading to Antananarivo, don't just sit at the hotel and drink all day; head to the slum, and you will be greeted with nothing but love and compassion.
People view Africa as dangerous, when in fact it is the opposite, as long as you follow the golden rule: if you show respect, respect will be shown back (99% of the time). I will also say it depends on the type of person you are, outgoing fits the bill better.
Comments