Working in the Bahamas, a dream ?

What was the reason of such gathering? Why in front of a car? The answer sounded as unfamiliar as the scene of gathering itself: “These people are there to submit their application forms for a certain job in the Bahamas”, reported one individual living in the neighbourhood. Indeed, according to the media, a certain West Palm Textiles Garments, a company located in the Bahamas, is recruiting 1500 Malagasy workers. The dissemination of that recruitment information generated a great deal of enthusiasm and interest among many people, namely those working in the textile production companies, commonly known as “Zone Franche”. But what is there that makes such job offer so attractive?

            First, the working place is in the Bahamas, that is, outside of Madagascar. Then, the salary rate (US$ 1000 per month minimum) stated in the offer appears like a huge sum of money to many. Indeed, for a “Zone Franche” worker whose minimum salary is 250.000 fmg = about US$ 27, working for US$ 1000 per month is a dream! Unfortunately, that dream of going to the Bahamas and getting US$ 1000 per month will never come true.

            Actually, two weeks ago, the Malagasy government, through the ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that according to the results of the investigations made by the Embassy of Madagascar in Washington D.C. among the Bahamian authority, the so called company West Palm Textiles Garments does not exist anywhere in the Bahamas. In other words, the massive recruitment of Malagasy workers in the Bahamas is nothing more but a swindle, a large-scale swindle! Through its announcement of the inexistence of West Palm Textiles Garments in the Bahamas, then, the Malagasy government put an end to the dreams and aspirations of the thousands of postulants, most of whom, it is to be noted, naively considered this job in the Bahamas as their ultimate chance to get away from poverty.

            In a word, when oppressed by poverty, people often get weak morally as well as intellectually. So, in the case of the job offer in the Bahamas, no one can blame the thousands of postulants for their fervent disposition to believe that a well-paying job in a paradise-like country is waiting for them. Next time, in order to avoid such act of swindling to happen again, the government should perform a formal revision of the salary rate of every Malagasy worker, especially the poorest one.