Hery Rajerisoa
The familiar creak of our front door accompanies my exit as I step into the cool morning air. The scent of coffee drifts from the kitchen where my eldest son, Tiana, is already awake, preparing for the day ahead. Since my husband passed away three years ago, these quiet moments with my children have become a source of comfort and strength.
Our life in Madagascar is not easy, especially for a woman of 51. Each day, I join my sons in the vanilla fields, our livelihood now resting in their hands due to our patriarchal traditions. Growing vanilla is labor-intensive, and the work is relentless. We move carefully from plant to plant, pollinating each flower by hand. This delicate task requires patience and precision, ensuring each bloom can produce a valuable pod.
Despite the soaring global price of vanilla, we see little of that wealth. Middlemen profit the most, leaving us with just enough to survive. Yet, we are more fortunate than many. We have a stable home, and unlike most, we even have electricity. This small luxury, however, makes us a target for thieves who often try to steal our plants at night.
As the sun rises higher, I pause to stretch my aching back, my hands calloused from years of toil. The future weighs heavily on my mind. News of successful vanilla cultivation in the Netherlands worries me. If their yields improve and climate change continues to impact our harvests, our fragile livelihood could be at risk. The land that has sustained my family for generations may no longer provide for us.
But for now, we press on. The vanilla pods must be harvested, each one picked by hand with care. My youngest son, Ravo, joins me, his youthful energy a stark contrast to my weary bones. Together, we gather the pods, knowing they will soon be handed over to the middlemen who will take most of the profit.
As we finish for the day, I look at my children and feel a deep sense of pride. Despite the hardships, we remain united and resilient. The future may be uncertain, but as long as we have each other, I believe we can endure whatever comes our way.