School in the Comoros
Schooling is in very bad shape in the Comoros. Only around 60 out of 100 boys go to school, compared to just half of the girls. Overall, the girls are much less educated. In the meantime there is compulsory schooling in the Comoros and school does not cost anything, but there are costs for books and school materials. These are costs that cannot easily be raised with eight children per family.
And even if the children go to school, it is often very poorly equipped. There is a lack of teachers and the teachers who are there usually do not have adequate training. And their pay is often bad. In the end, only half of all children even finish school.
Problems
Child poverty
As a country located in Africa according to aparentingblog.com, the Comoros are a very poor country. The island of Anjouan has the greatest poverty among children and the lowest income for families. Many families have up to eight children. There is always someone to play with, but eight children first have to be fed and sent to school.
But not all families are poor, there are also some who are better off. The parents of the poor families often send their children to the families of the richer families to help with the housework. They don’t get any wages, just something to eat and, if they’re lucky, clothes, but these are expenses that the real family doesn’t have to make.
Child labor
If the parents are poor, the children are also poor. It is the same in the Comoros. And that’s why the children often have to support their parents. It is estimated that 36 out of 100 children between the ages of five and 14 in the Comoros do child labor. For example, they work in the household, toil on the island’s plantations or work in fishing. As a result, many children do not go to school or leave school too early.
Poor diet
Many children in the Comoros suffer from poor nutrition. There is often too little meat and so important elements of the diet are missing. 42 out of 100 children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition. They simply don’t get enough to eat and some of these children are underweight. Many children also have no access to clean water. The consequences of this are diseases like diarrhea caused by polluted water.
Forgotten children
To escape poverty in the Comoros, many children try to flee to the island of Mayotte, which is part of France. The living conditions are better there. The escape often takes place over the sea and some do not survive this escape. Often the children hide in the slums of the cities. Nobody knows they exist.
The role of the girl
Girls have much worse prospects in the Comoros than boys, especially for training and a job. After puberty they are often isolated and have to prepare for the “Grand Marriage”. The girls have no say.
Eating in Comoros
What do the Komorans eat?
Since the inhabitants of the Comoros come from many different regions of the world, the food is also shaped by these influences. The cuisines of India, France and East Africa shake hands here.
Rice
On the Comoros, like on the neighboring island of Madagascar, rice is the most important staple food eaten. This is accompanied by cassava and yams. Both are root vegetables and are very healthy and nutritious.
Plantains
As in many East African states, plantains are also on the menu. However, these taste different from the bananas you may know, not sweet at all and rather neutral. Both the vegetables and the bananas are grown by the people of the Comoros, because imported products are usually much more expensive than local food.
Sauces with coconut milk
There are various sauces with the rice. Most of these sauces also consist of vegetables, as not everyone can simply afford meat. The Komoran people like to season their food spicy and then refine it with coconut milk, which then takes some of the heat away. Chicken in coconut sauce is a popular dish.
Fish and meat on holidays
Goat is also on the menu. And since the Comoros are surrounded by the sea, fish and seafood are also part of the residents’ meals. Usually there is also a spicy sauce.
However, it is the case that the residents themselves often cannot afford either fish or meat. Fish is often kept dry so that it doesn’t spoil quickly. There are no refrigerators in many households. When the Komorans celebrate important festivals, meat is also on the table.