Rio Tinto | Minerals and Metals for the world

Good news for visitors is that Madagascar has no poisonous snakes and no dangerous carnivores, and its largest animals are the endearing lemurs, precursors of modern apes.

A day or two later Philibert Tsimamandro, QMM's community projects director at Fort Dauphin, took us to visit several of the community projects QMM had initiated and which were now mostly being run by the communities themselves. Fishermen whose catches in the lagoons and estuaries have declined through over fishing were now farming fish, and village supply shops were springing up as a result of microloans facilitated by Philibert's department. In the coming months, QMM's ambitious community programme will be developing further. All of this is before a decision to build the mine has been formally taken.

At a lively meeting of Association Ezaka, a women's self help group, recipients of microloans were repaying their dues and holding discussions on matters of community interest. Having thanked them for allowing me to photograph their meeting I enquired how they felt about the prospect of a large mine in their area.

Their response was clearcut: "We want it!" they shouted as one. "We need jobs, and our children need a future there. Please, please, bring that mine, so we can show our men what it is to really work and buy clothes for the children!"

Anthony Bannister is a writer and photographer based in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.



Good news for visitors is that Madagascar has no poisonous snakes and no dangerous carnivores, and its largest animals are the endearing lemurs, precursors of modern apes. A day or two later Philibert Tsimamandro, QMM's community projects director at Fort Dauphin, took us to visit several of the community projects QMM had initiated and which were now mostly being run by the communities themselves. Fishermen whose catches in the lagoons and estuaries have declined through over fishing were now farming fish, and village supply shops were springing up as a result of microloans facilitated by Philibert's department. In the coming months, QMM's ambitious community programme will be developing further. All of this is before a decision to build the mine has been formally taken. At a lively meeting of Association Ezaka, a women's self help group, recipients of microloans were repaying their dues and holding discussions on matters of community interest. Having thanked them for allowing me to photograph their meeting I enquired how they felt about the prospect of a large mine in their area. Their response was clearcut: "We want it!" they shouted as one. "We need jobs, and our children need a future there. Please, please, bring that mine, so we can show our men what it is to really work and buy clothes for the children!" Anthony Bannister is a writer and photographer based in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
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