My Parish
Ayangue is a quiet, sleepy fishing village and the Society of St James (of which I am a member) acquired a large house there overlooking the beach. We have a monthly meeting there but the house is more used as a retreat centre for parish groups. It is an ideal spot and it would be lovely to spend more time there but it is not so easy to get away from parish commitments. Nature has richly blessed Ecuador: beautiful beaches, luxuriant flora, fascinating landscapes; lofty high mountains, an endless desert, an impenetrable jungle and so I could continue. I will need to leave Ecuador in order to come back as a tourist to enjoy the many places I would love to visit and have not been able to do so.
GUAYAQUIL – MY NEW PARISH.
Guayaquil is a modern, developed, dynamic, commercial city - the principal port of Ecuador with a population of over THREE MILLION. My parish, which is supposed to be part of this modern city, does not even have an official name. Legally it does not exist although it has a population of 55,000 “Guayaquileños”; citizens of this grand metropolis which we call Guayaquil. It does not have paved nor named streets, no potable water (we buy water from tankers and store it in barrels); no sewage system for this vast population and electricity is obtained by hanging a wire from the main electrical lines which pass nearby in order to provide for the “big city” (the advantage of this system is that we don´t have to pay for consummation).
The Municipal Authorities are willing to forget about our existence. For instance, it promises to provide us with potable water in 2016 or 2017 (by means of hydrants, spaced strategically in order that the population can collect supplies of water when needed – is it something to look forward to!). There are no telephone lines, no infrastructure expected within urbanized existence.
Our precarious existence makes a mockery of the first principle of our constitution that “all men are born equal”. It not only questions but rather condemns the liberal, capitalist monetary system imposed by the “super powers” and which, by its very nature, makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. As I look out from my window in the morning I see, to left and right, to the front and to the back, rows and rows of these shacks, made of spliced and stretched bamboo poles. When I think that an extended family has to live in these huts I have to hang my head in shame for being part of this inglorious modern society which we have created and which has been built through the sweat of so many for the benefit of so few.
On reflection, it is more productive to dedicate myself to improve the lot of those I am in contact with than to spend time declaiming global injustices. I take great satisfaction in the knowledge that that there are so many good people always disposed to help. May their resolve never falter. The greenery is no longer green; the grey dust is greyer than ever; The air is dry and the earth is dry; the grass has withered and little greenery is to be seen. It has not rained for a few months and, with the change of climate perhaps it will not rain for a few more months. It used to be eight months of dry weather and four months of wet weather but the rainy season has been shortened and the dry season prolonged. What will become of agriculture in countries where there are rain shortages and what will become of the poor people who depend so much on rain? It is a question that the world should face and is not facing. God´s earth is being despoiled because of the greed of the few while the needs and interests of the many are being forgotten.
The greenery from the trees provides an uplift for this scene but in a few weeks time the dust will also have covered the trees with a grey cloud, an unholy nightcap! Notice the roofs made of zinc; the steps or ladders up to the dwelling area; the tanks or barrels along the “pavement¨ where the water is stored; the tankers selling water; a few children playing in the dusty streets. During the dry summer, dust from the streets penetrates every house, building and dwelling. It is on every shelf, cupboard, table, chair and desk; in every book, newspaper, bag, and towel; in my nostrils, eyes, ears and teeth; on everything that can stand upright or simply has a surface. It is almost a relief when the wet season comes and the streets become mud rivers and the dust clouds return to mother earth!
It is hard to imagine that this is the main ”boulevard” leading into a town with a population of 50,000 and that the lady with the gas ring, oddments of food, soup tureen is the proprietor of one of the many roadside restaurants that are to be found in the town. But … it is the rainy season and this is life in a coastal shanty town. I doubt whether the poor lady would consider employing a marketing agent in order to improve her sales! During the rainy season streets disappear with regularity and in a matter of hours. Mrs Cabrerra had gone home for lunch; the rains began to fall and within one hour and twenty minutes the street linking her with her work had gone. Her expression tells us all: well, who knows, we might be fishing here tomorrow!
THE OLD ….
There is a certain sadness in seeing the old bamboo chapels disappear and give way to more modern buildings. It is not the desire for change alone which makes new buildings necessary. The bamboo chapels house very few, have been built as temporary buildings and offer few luxuries: rains comes in through the walls and through the tin roof; the floor is of dust and at times gets very muddy. I was once genuflecting at the consecration of the Mass and my shoe remained in the mud!
At the same time the construction of new buildings brings joy and renewed hope; more people assist at services; there is greater self esteem amongst the population and greater sense of rightful pride within the sector. It is their chapel and all have helped to build it.
….AND THE NEW
I am always very proud and grateful to the many people at home who support the various projects I have organized in Ecuador in favour of poor and deprived people. I am also proud of the local people who take part in these projects and make them successful. In the photo above we see another nursery being built. The building is of reinforced concrete. It is necessary to use a lot of iron because we are in the earthquake zone. The construction you see at the bottom of the photo is a water cistern. It will be filled by tankers and a pump attached to make the water circulate throughout the building. The building has a flat concrete roof and there is a staircase being constructed which leads to the second floor which will be constructed when we have adequate finance; our old friends, bamboo poles hold up the cladding where the concrete will be poured and allowed to harden. (It is the same type of bamboo poles which are split, spread and which form the walls of 85% of the houses in the parish). Some people ask if I pay the workers and the answer is, “of course, I do”. People in the parish cannot afford the luxury of working a full day without some income. At the same time the contribution of the workers goes beyond the wage they receive. They are proud to improve the facilities of their community.
PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION
Ecuadorians simply love processions and the Palm Sunday is a very special one indeed. This is the Palm Sunday Procession of my parish of St. Joseph the Worker in Guayaquil. Jesus on the donkey, which you see at the front of the picture, was the star of the day. However, he followed me and after walking two hours we came to a cul de sac (heavy rains had washed away the street and we could not get across to where we were to celebrate the Mass. The donkey was the hero of the moment. He carried on regardless as if nothing had happened.
WHAT WAS MY SCHOOL…
The children look on. Yesterday that was their school and look what has happened! It fell down last night but already parents have been at work and everything is in order and it will be built tomorrow. The floor will be of turf but that is how it always was; it will have no windows but it never has had windows; it will offer little comfort and educational opportunities to the children but that is how it has always been. Will it always be that way? Perhaps you have an answer. FIRE!
On average it takes only two minutes for a house to be totally gutted by fire. On this occasion three houses were reduced to cinders in five minutes. The people lost every single item of belongings which they had possessed.
A branch of the Cooperative of Savings and Loans (A Credit Union) was opened in Guayaquil by the Archbishop. The manageress, Srta. Alexandra, accompanies the Archbishop. We started the Cooperative in Quito some fourteen years ago and it was one of the most factors in the development of the Comité del Pueblo. Today it has eight branches and a membership of 34,000. I could not open it in my own parish of St. Joseph the Worker simply because they have no money to save! There is nothing like a good scrub. The girls have been in the water OR a few bowls of water have been thrown over them and then they are given a good scrub. Their younger brother then follows. The people have to be admired for their high level of personal hygiene. It is an admirable sight to see how well groomed the people are are they make their way through the mud/dust streets on their way to the office or to the place of work. It is an atitude much to be admired.. It is Carnival time. For three days the whole country is on holiday. In the marganilised barrios the population are on constant battle alert. Those who venture on to the streets will have water, flour and other liquid mixtures thrown over them. Neighbour might come to the rescue and so a pitched battle gets underway. Family fun feuds are daily occurrances. All in good fun though it is difficult to understand how they will get themselves washed and clean once again. !Viva, el Carnival!
One of the lovely characteristics of the children is that they love to be photographed and then to see themselves in the photobraph. It is a joy for them. Another favourite activity of the children is eating. When the sit down to eat they do not think of eating till they are full up but rather eating till all that in sight has been eaten. As the saying goes: “when you are in the third world, take the first opportunity because you might not get a second chance!The child pictured above with the rabbit would win the hardest heart. There is no Barbi Doll for her. She holds on to the rabbit and seems to ask us all: “what does this world hold for me”?. I say: “she is deserving of our love and consideration” and my hope is that she will receive it.
PROJECT: CHILDREN AND YOUTHS AT RISK
Every year I make my own Christmas Cards. A few year ago I was with the kids and the thought occurred to me that a live Crib with the children would provide a suitable and interesting Christmas Card. I asked for volunteers and in thirty seconds I had the group. We went down into the street and ‘grabbed’ a bed sheet and a swathe of material. The group was formed in two minutes and the famous card was produced. A photographer is known to have charged $25,000 to design a card! What will be the Card for Christmas 2008? Still to be decided… so watch this space!