During a mission in southern Madagascar in 2021, I encountered an emaciated 15-year-old mother at Ambovombe hospital, holding her frail 8-month-old baby, both admitted to nutritional recovery center for severe acute malnutrition. She remained silent, but her insistent gaze pleaded desperately for help, leaving me with a profound sense of helplessness.
This memory still haunts me. And she is not alone. In some regions of Madagascar, 70% of 16-year-old girls have already given birth—most of them left to raise their children alone, struggling to survive as single mothers.
Poverty is widespread in Madagascar, forcing many parents to forgo education for their children, while early marriage remains common in all 22 regions, with girls often exchanged for money and zebus, symbols of wealth and status.
Sexual and psychological violence are prevalent due to lack educations. As a victim of incest myself, I understand perfectly how they feel. What's more, like them, I raised my son alone after my ex-husband abandoned us.
Their education is incomplete, yet they’re expected to pass on knowledge. But what can they truly offer in these conditions? How can these young girls bear such heavy burdens alone? What future awaits the thousands of unwanted babies, who represent the future of Madagascar?
Through my photography project, I aim to use images, testimonies, and artistic expression to help young mothers share their stories and foster understanding. I urge authorities to take action to reduce teenage pregnancies and ensure a more stable future for children. But beyond policies, society itself must change. These girls did not choose motherhood—society chose for them, yet they’re the ones forced to bear all the consequences. My body, my choice. My life, my choice.
This is an ongoing project.
