Marie
The soft clucking of her chicken provides some source of comfort for this young girl, so very shy of the camera.
The Oxen Drive
Farmers lead their oxen to rich pastures in the lowland valleys.
Cattle Patterns
Docile cattle laze in the languid afternoon air.
Children of Ranomafana
A small crowd gathers in the warm afternoon light.
Children of Ranomafana
Children pose outside their school in the small farming village of Ranomafana.
Children of Ranomafana
Everyone is called in for a group photo in one of the farmers’ fields.
Boy in the Barn
A young boy retreats into the quiet of his father’s barn as his friends play with anything they can find on Ranomafana’s dusty tracks.
A Mother’s Bliss
A young mother looks elated after seeing a photograph of her young daughter.
Running through the Stalls
A young girl dashes past a group of older boys playing table football.
Table Footy Gang
Table football and horseplay rule the day for this group of young boys.
An Intense Game
Table football provides the highest level of entertainment for this group of boys in Ranomafana village.
Brothers in Arms
Members of the same village group are eager to have their photos taken. Young men are attracted by life in the much busier cities, such as Antananarrivo but make the long journey home during harvest times or for important celebrations.
Watery Fields
The setting sun is reflected in the still water of these paddy fields whilst a soft whisper of smoke escapes a farm’s chimney. French-style farmhouses are found throughout the rural hills of central Madagascar.
Mother and Son
A young boy is hoisted across his mother’s back as she makes her way through the paddy fields.
Marie
Using a chicken to cover her face, Marie hides from the camera.
Angele and Philipe
Angele photo-bombs her brother Philipe. One truth kept ringing true while I spent time with these children - that they were happy enough living on the streets and in the fields, playing with wooden toys instead of the tablets and smartphones of today’s generation.
Madagascar Beats
A young boy turns up the bass on his portable radio. When you grow up on the streets, music is an universal source of entertainment.
The Plantation
An expat’s rubber plantation graces the edge of a verdant rainforest.
The Plantation
A rubber planter’s house and motorbike sit beside a muddy lane.
Reflections
A brown river catches the reflections of trees lining its banks.
Canoe Crossing
A string of canoes line the banks of a tranquil river.
The Plantation
Banana plants and rubber trees create a little oasis in the midst of thick jungle.
Forest Clearing
Brackens and mosses fill up the void left by felled trees over large swathes of Eastern Madagascar.
Ranomafana F.C.
A muddy field would have to make do for this football nursery’s pitch.
Hawk-Eye Moth
The largest moth species known rests on a piece of bark.
Dapples of Light
Another evening and light streams onto a football field in Ranomafana village.
Termite Temple
The ruins of a clay church lie abandoned in a forest clearing. They gave me the impression of a huge termite mound.