![]() And when the very smallest little contagion comes in and touches their lives, they're going to pass away," said Father Shea.Īccording to Father Shea, death is a way of life in Madagascar. They're certainly not going to get any medicine, medical treatment. "The majority of those little kids are not going to get enough to eat. He sees through the dreams here right into the future of this island nation's children. He left Boston to become a missionary in Madagascar 40 years ago. In his line of work, Father Joseph Shea is armed only with the Bible. What does he carry then? "I carry a shotgun," he said. ![]() "In South Africa, where I bought it, it was described as 'a woman's gun.'"Īs for Schaffer, he said he only carries pepper spray unless he is escorting gems. That means people in the sapphire business, like Schaffer and his Israeli partner Dror Morodov, have to know how to take care of themselves.ī>"I do carry a handgun," said Morodov before pulling out a hefty pistol. There's a lot of cash, but you'll have a hard time finding a cop or a court. The diggers sell their stones to small-time buyers, who sell them to bigger buyers, who export them to gem markets in Asia and Europe. Today, you can get just about anything you want in the streets of Ilakaka, and it is all driven by sapphires. ![]() A year and a half ago, there was nothing in the area, just a dip in the road. ![]() That's why there's so much new construction. ![]() Built on a dream of rare stones and riches, more people are coming to this boomtown all the time. Schaffer described the area as "the last frontier," a phrase often used in connection with the Wild West 150 years ago.Īnd if Madagascar is like the Old West, then a town like Ilakaka is Dodge City. ![]()
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