The 28th season of the Lewiston Public Library’s Great Falls Forum wrapped up on Thursday, giving audience members a glimpse into the challenges kids in Madagascar struggle with on a daily basis.

Thursday’s speaker featured former Auburn resident and Sun Journal reporter Vanessa Paolella, who recently ended her service as a Peace Corps volunteer but stayed in Madagascar.

She is the founder of Meylou Fund for the Deaf, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for deaf children in Madagascar, and works at the Fianarantsoa School for the Deaf, where she helps care for more than 30 boarding students.

Paolella’s talk on Thursday covered a wide variety of topics about life in Madagascar, from schooling to family life and challenges in healthcare.

“We often hear about all the negatives these children face, but it’s not all hardship,” said Paolella. “There is joy.”

Families in Madagascar are typically large and multigenerational with about four to nine kids, according to Paolella. Family members often sleep in the same room. She said she has seen homes where 12 to 15 people sleep in the same room with only one mattress, which is often given to an adult. Kids sleep on the floor with mats.

Among the things kids do in Madagascar, their biggest responsibility comes in doing chores, specifically farming and housework. That includes washing laundry, selling produce, planting and pounding rice, and carrying water from community wells.

Paolella said boys in Madagascar start working on farms at a young age. Girls as young as 8 start cooking for the family, and are often responsible for family meals by the age of 12 to 14.

“Their work is essential for the family,” said Paolella.

Because of that, kids typically miss a lot of school. Money is also a factor in determining if and how long children go to school for, with families having to pay to send their children.

According to Paolella, the price of elementary school in Madagascar is the equivalent of $2 and 120 cups of rice. While most families can afford that, obtaining education beyond elementary school becomes more difficult as the cost increases and work becomes a priority.

The graduation rate dips to between 25% and 30% for kids at the middle school level, while only 16% to 18% of Madagascar children graduate from high school, according to Paolella.

Healthcare is another challenge that kids face, she said. Kids in Madagascar are often not eating a well-balanced and nutritious diet, typically getting only two of the five major food groups. For that reason, Paolella said, the growth of about half the children in the country is stunted. According to the World Health Organization, stunting affects brain development, poor cognition and illnesses.

Accessing the country’s limited healthcare also poses problems. While distance can be an issue for families, money is also a big part. According to Paolella, kids under 5 can go to their local health clinic and receive medication for free. Those over that age must pay for medications.

Because of this, families often rely on traditional Malagasy medicine, which is often closer and cheaper, and supplied by nonmedical members of the community.

“There are families that have to decide between providing food for their families, and going to the health clinic,” said Paolella.

The challenges are even greater for deaf children in Madagascar. There are only seven schools that teach sign language, including where Paolella works. However, she said very few kids are able to attend these schools because of cost and distance, with less than 1% of deaf kids actually getting a formal education.

Paolella ended her talk with suggestions for how people can help. She said that when people are traveling in poorer countries like Madagascar, they should not give to children who are begging. Often, the children are being forced to beg by parents or others who don’t have the best interests of the children in mind.

She discouraged traveling to poorer countries to volunteer temporarily, such as to paint a school. She said such efforts take work away from locals. The money spent by well-meaning would-be travelers would be better spent donated to a community that can then hire local workers.

And when it comes to donations, she suggested donors connect with legitimate nonprofits that work in the local community and prioritize hiring local people. She said doing so not only helps the organization’s mission, but mission leaders have a better understanding of their community’s needs.

The Great Falls Forum, which hosts speakers on a range of topics, will resume its monthly series in September at the Lewiston Public Library.