Goats and Soda

Sylvia Razanaparana stands confidently in a white dress over a marine blue shirt, a blue bucket balanced on her head. The soft blue canvas behind her is speckled with white, her hand resting on her hip as she gazes slightly off-camera, reminiscent of someone ready to share an important message.

And indeed, she does.

She is one among eight women photographed by Miora Rajaonary to highlight female genital schistosomiasis (FGS), an illness impacting around 56 million women and girls globally, particularly in Africa, according to the World Health Organization.

This waterborne disease originates from parasitic worms and is common in regions lacking proper access to clean water and health facilities. Women are at risk through everyday activities, like working in rice fields or washing clothes in infected water. Regarded by the United Nations as one of the most overlooked tropical diseases, FGS can lead to serious complications, including infertility and genital ulcers. The symptoms—such as itching and abnormal discharge—often resemble those of STDs, which can result in shame and suspicion among those afflicted.

A report by UNAIDS emphasizes the lack of diagnosis for this condition, warning of serious consequences for women’s reproductive health, and also noting a raised risk of contracting HIV from infected partners.

While men can also contract the disease, the WHO points out that complications are more prevalent in women.

Razanaparana contracted FGS while laboring in Ambanja’s rice fields. Her husband, believing she had betrayed him due to her STD-like symptoms, abandoned her. It wasn’t until four years later that she received a diagnosis during a medical mission in her village, where a doctor prescribed praziquantel, a deworming medication that ultimately cured her.

Rajaonary found Razanaparana’s story especially moving, leading her to include her portrait in the Sahy Rano exhibit. The title carries dual significance, embodying bravery not only in enduring hardship but also in confronting societal fears. Rajaonary, being from Madagascar herself, emphasizes the importance of her work, supported by the End Fund, in promoting health initiatives against tropical diseases.

This is a portrait of Julie Moanariziky, another woman who has battled FGS. She is depicted against a blue backdrop representing water, with white dots symbolizing the parasites causing the infection.

Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund

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Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund

The project’s title resonates because many of the women, such as Razanaparana, endure the unavoidable realities of working in water for their livelihoods—continuously returning to the same contaminated sources.

To underline their bravery in addressing societal taboos concerning the disease, Rajaonary dressed the women in traditional Malagasy face masks, made from cosmetic paste and sandalwood. Adorning themselves in these masks not only shows their beauty but also declares that they are just like everyone else, free from shame. Rajaonary mentions that wearing such masks is common in Madagascar, a beautiful tradition shared over generations.

A portrait of Asna Stina, a prior FGS patient, alongside her mother Edwige Rasoatiana, a health worker.

Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund

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Miora Rajaonary/The End Fund

The painted backdrop creates an illusion of the women either standing in or sitting by water, with white dots symbolizing the parasites lurking in local waters. Additionally, Rajaonary incorporated a laundry line across the backdrop, draped with the women’s clothing as if just washed in the contaminated water. “This is their clothing, their laundry, what they wear and how they live,” Rajaonary explains.

The vibrant pails and buckets featured in each image further emphasize water’s omnipresence in the lives of these women.

Diane Cole writes for various publications, including The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. She authored the memoir After Great Pain: A New Life Emerges. Learn more at DianeJoyceCole.com