Mining Madagascar: 20050916_IMG_0482b

A woman sifts for poorer quality stones in a muddy river. Stones are rarely found in the mine itself but are sifted out in several series of washings. Women are often the last in a chain of sales and get the smaller, lesser value stones after larger ones have been sifted out. For Malagsy who live in abject poverty anyway, the hope of a small find is worth the painstaking work.

A woman sifts for poorer quality stones in a muddy river. Stones are rarely found in the mine itself but are sifted out in several series of washings. Women are often the last in a chain of sales and get the smaller, lesser value stones after larger ones have been sifted out. For Malagsy who live in abject poverty anyway, the hope of a small find is worth the painstaking work.