TL;DR
In the tail end of the dry season in southern Madagascar, landscapes of prickly pear and bare red fields frame communities short of cash, often hungry and described as lonely. Children are tending Zebu cattle instead of attending school, while women sell charcoal beside flimsy huts as locals wait for rain.
What happened
A reporter visiting southern Madagascar describes a landscape of brick-red fields ringed by prickly pear cactus. In some plots there are crops, but many plots are dominated by cactus or lie fallow as the region endures the dry season. Small children who might otherwise be in school are seen herding Zebu cattle along dusty tracks. Women sell bags of charcoal outside flimsy wooden huts that line the main road. Residents are awaiting rainfall; the piece notes they are short of cash and frequently hungry. Beyond material scarcity, the account highlights feelings of social isolation: the communities are, in the writer’s words, lonely. The dispatch appears as part of a Christmas special focused on the region, published on December 18, 2025.
Why it matters
- Challenges assumptions that loneliness is mainly a problem of wealthy, individualistic societies by pointing to isolation in poor, rural settings.
- Connects environmental stress (dry season, lack of rain) with economic hardship, schooling disruption and food insecurity.
- Highlights the visibility of child labor and informal livelihoods—such as charcoal sales—in conditions of scarcity.
- Signals potential humanitarian concerns in a region where weather, cash shortages and hunger intersect with social dislocation.
Key facts
- Location: southern Madagascar (reported locations include Ambovombe and Frome in the piece header).
- Landscape: brick-red fields bordered by prickly pear cactus; some fields have crops but many do not.
- Seasonal context: reporting took place at the tail end of the dry season; locals are yearning for rain.
- Children: small children are observed herding Zebu cattle along dusty tracks rather than being in school.
- Livelihoods: women sell bags of charcoal outside flimsy wooden huts by the main road.
- Economic conditions: residents are described as short of cash and often hungry.
- Social condition: the communities visited are described as lonely.
- Publication: the dispatch appeared in The Economist’s Christmas Specials on December 18, 2025.
What to watch next
- Whether rainfall arrives in sufficient quantity to relieve the dry-season stress — not confirmed in the source.
- Changes in school attendance and child labour patterns if the economic situation shifts — not confirmed in the source.
- Any local or external aid responses to food insecurity and cash shortages — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Dry season: A period of the year with reduced rainfall, often stressing crops, water supplies and livelihoods in agrarian regions.
- Prickly pear: A type of cactus often found in arid landscapes; it can mark field boundaries and persist where crops fail.
- Zebu: A humped type of cattle common in parts of Africa and Asia, used for herding, transport and as a livestock asset.
- Charcoal trade: The informal production and sale of charcoal, frequently a source of income in low-resource settings but associated with environmental and health concerns.
Reader FAQ
Where is this reporting focused?
Southern Madagascar; the piece references locations including Ambovombe and Frome.
What signs of hardship are documented?
Observers report dry-season landscapes, lack of cash, frequent hunger, children herding Zebu instead of attending school, and women selling charcoal by flimsy huts.
Does the article argue loneliness is only a problem in wealthy societies?
No. The article’s subtitle suggests that loneliness also affects poor, rural communities, challenging the notion that it is confined to rich, individualistic societies.
Are specific relief measures, numbers or policy solutions discussed?
Not confirmed in the source.
Christmas Specials | Unmoored in Madagascar The most friendless place on earth If you think rich, individualistic societies are the loneliest, think again Share illustration: dagou Dec 18th 2025 |…
Sources
- The most friendless place on Earth
- Southern Madagascar faces drought-driven hunger …
- Don't Look the Other Way: The Tragic Effects of the Climate …
- Greening the Great South of Madagascar
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