In their third collaboration with missio, Fairpicture travelled to Madagascar to document the lives of families involved in mica mining, and to highlight the human stories behind this often invisible industry. Over eight days (six days on assignment plus travel), Fairpicture photographer iAko Randrianarivelo together with the client visited mining communities to create an honest visual portrait of daily life, hardship and resilience. The deliverables include documentary photographs of miners, children, family life, mining conditions and environments – all intended to raise awareness about the social realities of mica mining, shed light on efforts to provide alternatives, and support missio’s commitment to a more just and dignified future.
Client
missio - International Catholic Mission Society
Visual Creator
iAko Randrianarivelo (Madagascar)
Theme
Minca Mining & Social Justice
Locations
Ihosy, Madagascar
Date
August 2025
Several sapphire prospectors from various towns in Madagascar. Most of them want to strike it rich and return home to a better life. Their “bosses” sometimes advance them money for their search and share the profits, deducting expenses in the event of a find.
Photo: iAko Randrianarivelo / missio / Fairpicture
Madagascar is a major source of mica – a mineral used worldwide in cosmetics, electronics, and other goods – yet its extraction often comes at a harsh human and social cost. In many mining regions, families – including women and children – work under dangerous, unstable and exploitative conditions. The work provides extremely low pay and little protection; many families struggle to survive and lack access to fair livelihoods.
Through its project “Micaabbau in Madagascar: Eine Chance für Minenarbeiterinnen”, missio aims to offer women – in particular unmarried mothers with children – a dignified alternative: training in agriculture, animal husbandry or crafts, combined with start‑up support to build independent livelihoods, thus reducing dependency on mica mining.
In this context, Fairpicture’s photography assignment sought to put a human face on the crisis – to move beyond statistics, and show real people: miners, mothers, children – with dignity, dignity and agency. By documenting everyday life, challenges and hope, the visuals support missio’s efforts to raise awareness and help fund sustainable alternatives.
Photo: iAko Randrianarivelo / missio / Fairpicture
Tambazy (26) is from Sakalalina, east of Ihosy. Married to Saholy, he has a five-year-old child. Since 2023, he has been working in the quarries following the climate crisis in his home village. Tambazy, his small family, and his parents moved to Morarano, where they built small huts for shelter. To improve work in the quarries, collectors provide Tambazy with equipment such as generators and hammers to work more efficiently. Profits are shared after deducting expenses and equipment rental. Tambazy works three times a day in the quarries: in the morning, afternoon, and evening, sometimes late into the night. Headlamps are used for night work.
Photo: iAko Randrianarivelo / missio / Fairpicture
Martin Stauch
Deputy Head of the Domestic Department at Missio - International Catholic Mission Society
Photo: iAko Randrianarivelo / missio / Fairpicture
Hanitra, 27, is a teacher at the Morarano school, located just 100 meters from her home. Before classes begin, she prepares meals and takes care of household chores. Her day starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m., except on Fridays when she finishes at 11 a.m. She teaches preschool children French, arithmetic, and manners. According to Hanitra, “children have the right to go to school so they don’t remain illiterate, limit themselves to jobs like those in Mica, or marry too young.” The NGO Tsimoka supports the school by providing supplies and helping with the school canteens. Education has already brought a real change in mindset in the village. If this momentum continues, she believes many children will have a promising future in the village and its surroundings, and she hopes they will be able to pursue suitable careers in the future.
Photo: iAko Randrianarivelo / missio / Fairpicture
iAko Randrianarivel
Fairpicture Photographer
The Ampandratokana training center has a large vegetable garden for practicing agricultural techniques.
Photo: iAko Randrianarivelo / missio / Fairpicture
Erline (28) from Morafeno in the Antsoha commune, is one of the trainees at the Ampandratokana training center. She has been attending the program for two months. A priest raised awareness among the youth about the importance of this training, especially in a context of high unemployment. Professional careers attract many young people, but salaries remain very low. “The training was tough in the first few days, but we got used to it after two weeks,” she says. She sees great potential in her region and hopes to apply what she has learned at the center back home.
Photo: iAko Randrianarivelo / missio / Fairpicture
Landscape of Fandana
Photo: iAko Randrianarivelo / missio / Fairpicture
The series of +300 photographs offers a powerful and human-centred view of life in Madagascar’s mica mining communities. From the harsh conditions in and around the mines to intimate moments of family life, the images reveal both vulnerability and resilience.
They will be used as part of missio’s Aktion Schutzengel exhibition – housed in a travelling truck designed to raise awareness across Germany. One room of the truck will focus on exploitation in mica supply chains, combining Fairpicture’s photography with interviews and video footage to inform and mobilise the public.
For Fairpicture, the project reaffirmed the value of ethical, respectful storytelling – and strengthened a growing collaboration with missio, now in its third chapter.
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