- ATD Fourth World

Present in Madagascar, The ATD Fourth World team gives support to twenty or so young people involved in the coordination of fourteen street libraries in Antananarivo (the capital), in Toliara (in the south of the island) and in a rubbish tip close to the city. About 500 children take part in this project centered around books.

One of the youth street library workers wished to write the story of a child taking part in a street library, in order to share it with Tapori children all around the world.

“Hery is 11. For several years, he’s been coming to the street library run by Niry – a mother from the neighbourhood. For a few hours, Niry leaves her little vegetable shop to tell stories and play traditional games with kids. Last year, Hery’s mum died. Since then, he’s been living with his grandmother together with his four brothers and sisters. The grandmother had already taken charge of her three other orphaned grand children but she welcomed Hery and his brothers and sisters with no hesitation. While taking care of the children, she carries on making crocheted mats which she sells but the income is not enough to provide for the needs of the whole family. The three eldest children, including Hery help their grandmother a lot selling food on a little market place close to where they live. One day during the street library Hery was sitting on a mat with other children. They had just started a story when a lady came to get Hery. He wanted to stay and listen to the story but he got up and followed the lady he worked for. He followed her to the place where she sells coffee and small Madagascan cakes. All the metal drinking cups were dirty and Hery had to wash them. To cheer himself up, he started humming the rhymes he had learned in the street library. Once he’d finished he asked the lady if he could go back to watch books. But she said that there was no sugar left and he had to go and fetch some. He ran to get the sugar and he was back to the street library before the story was over. His eyes were sparkling with joy. Bring aware that Hery doesn’t want to miss the street library, other children asked Niry to go and talk to the lady he had been working for. After they talked, the lady said, “Hery is a good worker and I am glad to be able to give him this little job as I know how much his grandmother needs money. I need Hery to work every day but I will let him go with you every time his work is done.”

Every two months a young Madagascan trainee working with the team in Antananarivo travels to Toliara to meet and to help street library workers there.

In the street library, the young street library workers supported the children to draw silhouettes as part of a campaign launched by Tapori.