Visit to the Prison Farm
Eighty Acres of Future Rice Fields
Malnutrition and death from starvation are major problems in Malagasy prisons as I have documented in an earlier blog - Hunger and Starvation.
https://www.zazatany.org/blog-2-1/hunger-in-the-prison
To address this crisis, the Director of Antalaha Prison has enlisted our help to further develop their vast prison farm near Sambava, spanning 67 hectares (165 acres). This fertile and spacious farmland holds the potential to supply food to both the Sambava and Antalaha prisons and is presently severely underutilized. Only seven prisoners currently reside on the premises in small huts and farm some of the land. They have no wish to escape because of the threat of being sent back to the horrors of Antalaha prison if caught. At least on the farm they have food and a sense of purpose.
EMM/RCA has committed to constructing several quality buildings to accommodate 40 prisoners on conditional release, as well as a new guards house and stock room. These fortunate inmates will work on the farm as a pathway to eventual freedom. It's a significant endeavor, but we are thrilled to have the necessary funds thanks to the generosity of donors, particularly from midwestern farmers whose connection to the land and food production runs deep.
Our next goal will be to raise funds to hire a professional agronomist to advise us on crop cultivation. We'll also need to rent equipment like backhoes and bulldozers to prepare the land for planting, including rehabilitating nearly 80 acres of wetlands for production of rice and setting up a system of gravity fed irrigation. While these tasks are on the horizon, we'll begin with step one next week. We anticipate that the construction of the buildings will take approximately four to six weeks to complete.
Maoly and our contractor, Francel, and his construction team will camp on the land much of the time. Maoly will oversee stock inventory, purchase supplies, document the ongoing work, and keep in communication with the rest of us. Hanitra will transfer funds as needed, and manage the accounts. What a happy day it will be when completed.
The following is a short video of our adventurous day, visiting the prison farm. Since the bridge was washed out, we had to cross the river by dugout canoe to meet the prison truck on the other side. Fifteen minutes into the ride we had flat tire, and no spare. We ended up walking for three hours in the blistering sun to the prison camp while he driver hauled the tire back to the dugout canoe and across the river into town for repair. Meanwhile, about halfway there, dehydrated and starving hungry, a kind coconut plantation owner graciously offered us freshly cut coconut water and tender coconut. What a feeling of relief.
“Tamar, did you know that the penalty for stealing one coconut is six months in prison?,” said the prison director, while we were devouring coconuts.
“What? Like if someone like us was thirsty and ready to collapse and they are sent to jail for 6 months? This country’s laws are adala crazy.”
The prison director nodded and laughed. “Yes, the laws can be adala.”
When we arrived, the prisoners shared fresh grapefruit and bananas with us. The Easter inmate meal served in reverse.
I hope you enjoy this short video of our day.
