Nicolette and Baby Fausa

A young girl looks after her baby sister while supper cooks in the clay home behind her. Women in rural Madagascar traditionally fill domestic roles.

Jean-Marc

With his torn red shirt against the backdrop of his traditional baked clay home, this young boy was a delight to photograph.

Efosi and Eliza

Two inseparable friends jostled for space in front of the camera and smiled politely while having their photo taken.

Anja, Nanette and Tomasi

Three siblings decked out in their best Sunday clothes hurried towards the camera before making their way to Church.

Anja and Nanette

These two sisters shoulder so much responsibility, cooking for their families and caring for their siblings from a very young age.

Efosi’s Smile

Taking pride in her pink Sunday dress, Efosi poses outside her home, made of baked clay bricks. The rich pastures in the valleys around Ranomafana have awarded these villagers a good harvest.

Husso and Tomasi

An older friend, keeping an eye out for any trouble on the side, shares a photograph with young Tomasi.

Happy Trio

Tomasi, Pepita and Eliza line up awkwardly to have their picture taken. Nervous smiles will soon erupt into burst of laughter.

The Stone Game

I never quite understood the rules of this game but it involved separating groups of stones with a stick, then piling the rubble into small mounds before players fell into a frenzy of excited stone-trading and swapping.

The Stone Game

Piling stones into small mounds.

The Stone Game

Separating groups of stones with a stick.

The Stone Game

Once the stones are ready for trading, the game turns serious with notes of paper money hovering above the rubble.

Anja

The eldest of four siblings. Anja led her brothers and sisters towards me and my camera as they were making their way to Sunday mass. Her farming village in Ranomafana created the perfect backdrop for their portraits.

Anja

She had a confident way about her, taking the responsibility of leading her siblings to school in her stride.

Julie and Rosie

Like most young children in tucked-away communities, these two girls were not quite sure what to make of my camera. However the mischievous pair quickly started crying out for one photo after another.

Pepita and Efosi

Best of friends huddle together for a photograph in their village.

Pepita and Efosi

Two girls begin to hold back giggles as the camera starts clicking away.

Pepita and Efosi

All control is lost as Pepita bursts into laughter.

Pepita

I loved taking photos of this little girl in a too-large denim shirt.

Eliza, Sonia and Pepita

You learn so much about kids’ characters by the way they line themselves up for a photograph. Eliza organized her friends into an order of height, whilst Pepita was more than happy to look on.

Rosie

Rosie shields her eyes from the strong sunlight above. The mid-day sun in Madagascar is a veritable force.

Julie

Casting a suspicious glance at her mischievous friends, Julie then peered right down the lens.

Efosi

Dropping the camera down to a child’s height helps us see the world through Efosi’s eyes.

Pepita and Rosie

A tourist taking photos in a rural village is so often a source of amusement for the young residents.

Pepita and Rosie

These two friends could not stop giggling in front of the camera.

Anja’s Home

Most houses in Madagascar are constructed from wood and corrugated metal. The very wealthy might afford a stone or concrete building.

Pepita and Eliza

All smiles once again.

Tomaye

A farmer watches on as his children play outside the village chapel. The verdant hills of central Madagascar are largely agricultural and most families live off their own fields and plantations. Zebu cattle is another main source of livelihood.

Floriane

Squinting under the intense sun, this young girl from Ranomafana was only too happy to have her photo taken on her doorstep.

Off to Play

With Sunday mass over, these children scrambled out to play on the village streets.

Fosu

One of the youngest in his play group, Fosu approaches our cameras cautiously.