Local Authorities Fail to Recover Control of Garbage Dump

[Article taken from the Nicaragua Network Hotline]

Since the beginning of the month over one thousand informal workers who make a living from selling recyclable waste (metal, plastic and glass) dumped on Managua's municipal garbage dump "La Chureca" have blockaded the entrance in protest against the decreasing amount of valuable waste being deposited there. According to the protesting workers the more valuable waste is extracted by the garbage collectors who work for the local government before the trucks are unloaded at "La Chureca."

On Mar. 23 Managua Vice-Mayor Neri Leiva Orochena said that the local government planned to recover control of the municipal garbage dump "La Chureca" on Mar. 24 with help from the National Police if necessary. The local government was unable to take control of the site, however, because, according to Mayor Dionisio Marenco, the National Police were unwilling to accompany the local government officials. According to General Commissioner Horacio Rocha a judicial order would be necessary before the National Police were able to help the Mayor reopen the site. Marenco, who dismissed Rocha's explanation, said he did not understand why the National Police were unwilling to help.

Marenco has insisted it is impossible for the local government to guarantee the quality of the waste dumped on the site and has rejected the suggestion of increasing garbage collectors' salaries in return for their commitment not to extract certain types of waste. On Mar. 24 Marenco reiterated his position saying that if and when the proposal to increase garbage collectors' salaries is voted on by the local council he will vote against it. Marenco has also said that he is unwilling to negotiate with the informal workers from "La Chureca."

This proposal to increase the local authorities' garbage collectors' salaries was initially suggested by the National Workers' Front (FNT), which is affiliated with the FSLN, and represents the "Chureca" informal workers. FSLN City Councilman Edgardo Cuarezma put the issue on the local council agenda. The Managua City Council is made up of nine FSLN members and nine members from the three opposition parties. Marenco, who is also FSLN but had fallen out with Daniel Ortega over Marenco's political ambitions, also votes in local council decisions.

On Mar. 18 Health Minister Guillermo Gonzalez said that the local health authorities had not yet detected signs of an epidemic outbreak due to the accumulation of garbage, but he did urge a rapid resolution to the dispute in order to guarantee the health of the Managua population.

During the last week 1,200 workers hired by the city government used 180 garbage trucks to remove the more than 25,000 tons of garbage which has accumulated on Managua's streets over the last three weeks. The waste was successfully deposited in garbage dumps in Nindiri and Tipitapa despite threats by the protesting informal workers to also block the entrances to those two sites. This is a tragic conflict in which all sides are right and the only ultimate solution is to eliminate the need for people to survive by living and "mining" a toxic garbage dump.

Dia de Leche

This morning we drove into Chureca for Milk Day. With the workers still on strike, we were one of the only vehicles allowed inside the dump. The clinic was already full when we showed up- most of our moms were listening to a health talk, some were meeting with nutritionists, and others were awaiting their consult with the doctor. Despite the number of people in the clinic, things were under control.

We were all worried that our kids' weights would drop significantly this month as a result of the strike and it's impact on individuals' ability to earn a living. Thankfully this has not been the case. Although the last three weeks have been extremely trying for La Chureca's residents, families have pulled together and done their best to ensure that their children are getting enough to eat. Organizations both inside and outside La Chureca have also stepped up their roles in order to assist residents through this particularly difficult period.

!Huelga!

The Monday before Day of Light, Lori and I were driving two Vanderbilt professors to Chureca with plans of meeting with some donors, going on a tour and maybe grabbing some lunch. One stoplight from the dump, we got a call from the other truck saying that there was a strike and no one could enter. The trash collectors and truck drivers have been removing the "trash of quality" for some time, preventing Churequeos for scavenging for the best recyclables. The workers had had enough and decided to use their bodies and the trash itself to keep trucks from dumping.

We approached the entrance with caution, but the line of men readily opened in order for us to pass. Another group of people directed us around barriers of trash, saying that they knew us because we helped with the school (we corrected them and let them know it was the clinic). At the weigh stations, I saw the faces of many of our mothers, their faces smiling with recognition and hope in what they were doing.

The trucks could not pass, but the community of La Chureca trusted us, and let us through.

The strike is now rapidly approaching a month and it seems to be at a standstill. The alcalde, or local government, says it cannot prevent the drivers from skimming (or the creation of outside recycling programs) and the Churequeos are too determined to stop without that promise. Problem is: no trash, no money; no money, no food.

Opinions about the strike vary widely among people living and working in Chureca, but everyone knows that something big is about to happen. Maybe this will make some men with skills leave the dump and look for a job elsewhere. Maybe this will make a young mother reconsider going back to school. Maybe it will just make the people of Chureca more dependent on non-profit workers. I don't know, but I will be there to see it happen.

Celebraciones

It has been over a month since my last post on this blog. Much has happened and I apologize for not keeping you thoroughly informed. Even though Erin and I continue to go into Chureca 3x a week, we have not had the time to sit down and write about all our visits. The month of March has been consumed by spring break volunteers. In the past three weeks Manna has hosted groups from Vanderbilt, Wooster State, UT Austin, UNCW, UGA, among others.



All of our groups have had the opportunity to visit La Chureca. The week that Vanderbilt and UNCW were here happened to be the week in which Brad Corrigan (the former drummer for Dispatch) hosted his annual concert in La Chureca. Dia de Luz, as the concert day is called, brought hundreds of American students into La Chureca. The purpose of Dia de Luz (Day of Light) is to raise awareness of the situation in La Chureca, encourage Americans to spend a day interacting with the men and women who live in the dump, and bring together Americans and Nicaraguans for a free concert.



Another celebration that happened in La Chureca, though on a much smaller scale, was the official re-opening of our clinic. As you may already know, the clinic underwent a big renovation in February. To celebrate the new facility Sandra (the director of FunjoFudes) invited all of the clinic's financial supporters, the clinic's staff, community leaders, and Manna's Program Directors to a ribbon cutting ceremony. During the event representatives from the Nice Foundation, Austin Samaritan, Manna Project International and the Ministry of Health gave short speeches.

All of the community members I have talked to are really happy about the improvements that were made to the clinic. One of the greatest benefits I have seen as a result of the renovation is the boost in the staff's morale. It's no easy task to work inside a dump everyday so having a facility that accommodates for the staff's needs is invaluable. Dr. Lesley, Esmo, and Yami now feel a sense of ownership toward the clinic. Dr. Lesley has his private consult room, Esmo has her nurse's station, and Yami has her pharmacy. There is also a consult room for the psychologist that comes in every Tuesday and Saturday and in about a week we will have a newly built dentist room.

I hope you now have a better idea of all that has happened in the past month! Expect more regular blog postings in the coming weeks!

Seeing is Believing

My first thoughts upon entering La Chureca; becoming comfortable in a place like this would be impossible, and everyone should have a shot at a better life. The inhabitants of La Chureca and other dumps around the developing world, stay in close proximity to the trash because in some cases it is their only economic and food sources. Every time I enter such a place I become less sensitive to what I see, though accepting the existence is hard. As a program director with Manna I was able to experience my first "milk day" last week. We systematically checked the kids weights, heights, and asked the mothers if there were any other concerns. The heights and weights are compared with prior appointments, to see if the kids are growing at an acceptable level. The mothers are informed of future doctor visits to the clinic and then they are on their way. Before the families leave, vitamins, oatmeal, and enriched milk are distributed to the children in our child sponsorship program. We may be skimming the surface of an ocean, but collectively with amazing people and organization such as the Manna Project International, a major difference is in order. It is the greatest pleasure of my life to see the progress first hand and to be part of the change.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."...Gandhi

'tis the season

On Friday morning we arrived at the clinic with bags of holiday gifts. The children were waiting for us with eager smiles. Most were dressed in their best outfits. It seemed like everyone in the clinic was ready to spread the holiday spirit. The staff members were laughing and joking around with one another. Dr. Lesley, who is typically very composed man, was posing for pictures and hugging Esmo and Coco.

We started things off by asking all of the kids go to the backyard of the clinic for a group picture. Unfortunately, some of the little ones were not excited about posing for our cameras. Maria Magdalena started crying first, then came Jerohan and a few others. We decided to postpone the group shot and move right along to the gift distribution.

One by one each kid came into the conference room, received their present, and posed for a picture wearing a Santa hat. As you may imagine, the kids looks absolutely adorable. The Spiderman toys were a huge hit with the boys, as were the purses with the girls. The little ones delighted in their new baby toys.

We also had a little surprise for the mothers. We gave each of them a 5lb bag of rice and a 5lb bag of beans. Because the price of beans has been on the rise, many of the moms have not been able to afford it. They were, therefore, extra thankfully for the gift.

November Milk Days

This past Wednesday and Thursday the whole Manna crew went to the clinic in La Chureca to run Milk Days. When we arrived on Wednesday, the doctor and Esmo were nowhere in sight. After getting a hold of Dr. Lesly and hearing that they wouldn’t be at the clinic for another 40 minutes we decided to go ahead without them.

Never have Milk Days run so smoothly! Everyone had their job mastered. Geoff and Tessa measure and weigh each kid. After a child’s weight and height have been recorded, Dane takes the mom and child to one of the consultation rooms and relays the weight/height information to the Program Director who is stationed there (either Matt or Erin).

Once Matt and Erin are given the weight/height info they compare the measurements to the previous months’ data. Matt and Erin then talk to the mothers to find out how their child has been doing, answer any questions the mother may have, and give them advice based on whether the child has gained or loss weight. Once the meeting is over the mom comes over to me to receive the monthly supply of milk, oatmeal and vitamins. During this time Julie snatches a cute picture of the little one to send to his/her sponsor. Julie also gives each kid who celebrated a birthday during the month a cute birthday bag filled with goodies.

I have to admit that it makes me really excited to see how well we are working together. What’s even more exciting, however, is seeing how well the mothers are responding to us. It’s incredible to see how much they have warmed up to us over the past few months. I believe that we owe Erin the credit for this. She has done an awesome job getting to know all the moms in the program.

As the moms warm up to us, so do the kids. Some of the kids who wouldn't smile at all are now full of giggles. The first time I saw Wendy smile was during the October field trip but this past Thursday she actually walked over to where I was, sat next to me, and asked me to play! And let me not forget Jerohan....this was the first time we've been able to get a picture of him smiling!

A final highlight: we had perfect attendance! This is the first time this has happened!