On Monday morning Erin and I took Brian Shumway to La Chureca. Brian is a photographer from NYC who is staying with us for the next 3 weeks. He came to Nica with the specific purpose of photographing La Chureca, and the people who live and work inside of it. Since Monday was Brian's first time in the dump, we began our visit with a walking tour. The school (Colegío La Esperanza) was our starting point. From there we climbed to the top of the hill that overlooks Chureca.
It is from this spot that you can fully grasp how imense the dump is. Although I have stood in that same place several times before, I still needed a few minutes to take it all in. When I'm in that spot, looking down on the endless mountains of trash and the homes made out of scrap metal, I can't help but wonder...will this place ever cease to exist? Will its residents ever be given the care and attention that they deserve?
The truth is that I don't expect to answer these questions during my time here. For now I'm content with answering the smaller, day-to-day questions. The interactions I've had with the children and mothers in our program thus far have shown me that there is plenty to be done. Plenty that I can do.
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