Editor’s Note
This article examines the human cost of Madagascar’s sapphire rush, where dreams of fortune are shadowed by exploitation and violence.
The Rush for Riches
In Ilakaka, southern Madagascar, sapphire mines attract thousands of Malagasy people in search of the stone that will change their lives. Behind this rush lies a troubling business: child labor, foreign control, and deadly score-settling.
“If I find a big sapphire, I’ll be rich.”
This hope drives countless individuals to the mining sites, where the dream of sudden wealth often clashes with a harsh reality of exploitation and danger.