La Chureca

If you want to know what hell looks like, take a 2.5 hour bus to Managua from Esteli and barter with a bandito, careless taxi driver to La Chureca (the dump.) My wednesday in Managua changed my life. I always knew evil in this world existed but to that degree, never. The weakness of some human beings really baffles me. The ability we have as humans to be so heartless, uncaring, perverted, sick and twisted just breaks my spirit. What reason do we have to be that way? There is no excuse for Daniel Ortega´s actions. He sits there on his high thrown delighted with the rich people of the country riding on the backs of the human recycling factory that is La Chureca. He gives them petty presents of clean water and lunch some days just to keep them grovelling at how wonderful he is to them. They have no education, they do not know their rights as humans, in their minds they deserve this life. Its all they´ve ever known. 400 families live there, in the mounds of garbage. 2000 people a day sift through garbage, spearing what they believe to be worth something. Plastic and metal are among the treasures they desire. The air is simply unbreathable. Smoke and stench toxicate your lungs and burn your eyes. You cough and heave, everyone in La Chureca suffers from respiratory conditions. Fires can start at any time and at any place. Goats, dogs, horses, cows, pigs, vultures and children all compete for the same food source: trash. The childrens bellies are extended, swollen with air from parasites. They have head lice and flees. They sleep on garbage. They sleep ten to one single hut. The girls start prostitution in La Chureca from the age of 5. The truck drivers come each night without fail and pay the girls for their bodies in garbage, not even cordobas (the currency of Nicaragua.)

When our group got out of the cab the children of the dump immediately sensed and saw our gawking faces and asked, ¨Que Paso!¨thoroughly concerned for the disgust in our eyes. ¨Nada, nada¨we quickly had to respond and attempted at a smile. They cannot understand why you look that way, how could they understand when this is the reality they´ve never escaped from. They are normal kids. Mostly not hard done by, laughing jumping, climbing up and down your body and stealing your camera to practice their budding photography skills. The kids were hilarious. The were no different from any other kids except for their living conditions, clothing, food and child labour.

Before we got to the dump we went to a hotel that is owned by an amazing family that includes two sisters, Dorothy and Priscilla. These girls are the strongest women I have ever met. They have had this vision for a new Nicaragua and unlike most people with visions that seem larger than life, they have decided to make it happen. Cuenta Conmiga is the name of their brand new organization. In english this title means Count on Me. Priscilla told our group that 45% of Nicarauga are between the ages of 18-25 with more than half out of work, education and without opportunity. According to these sisters something has to be done. Nicaragua is just being ruined. Its becoming the second Costa Rica where rich Americans come in offering pennies to the people for their land and because the people do not know the worth of the land or have any understanding about realty and economics they are selling the prescious eco havens only to be demolished and turned into casinos or resorts. Cuenta Conmiga is starting small, their goal is to take 12 youth out of the dump and focus all their energy into educating them, teaching them english, mathematics, geography, economics etc. Then when these youth have a firm grasp and foundation they can help with Dorothy and Priscilla´s mission and will go out and teach more so the organization will grow.

The very first thing these two sisters want to do, however, is to save one very special girl in particular. Her name is Fabiola and she is nine years old. Every single night after her day of sifting through garbage her step father rapes and molests her. Her mother is helpless as he will beat her if she does anything. Police do not enter la Chureca. The police of Managua are mostly useless and disgusting human beings. Priscilla and Dorothy have arranged for Fabiola to be taken out of the dump with the signature and consent of her mother and put into an adoption house specialized for sexually abused children. Her mother is going to sign her only little girl away to a new and better life. I got the immense pleasure of meeting Fabiola, she is gorgeous. She does not lift her eyes from her feet. Her hand stays infront of her mouth and her lips do not make a sound. I bent down to her level and asked her if I could give her a hug, she nodded. Then I took her by the hand and brought her with the group to the bathing hole where children can be safe from harms way because an amazing Italian organization guards and protects them there. I spoke to Fabiola a lot, asked her simple questions and told her about myself. Even though I had no response I knew I was getting to her. By the end of it she even looked up at me, that quick glance up at me was an accomplishment I will never forget.

Leaving was horribly difficult. I got so attached to those monkey kids, and boy oh boy were those kids Monkeys!! You´ll all see the pictures of them climbing all over us when I get home.
Leaving little Fabiola was one of the hardest things I´ve had to do. If I could i would keep her with me, always. She shouldnt have to go through what she does. Next week Priscilla and Dorothy are hoping to take her out of there. PLease please keep Fabiola in your prayers so everything goes according to plan and she gets a second chance at a great future with the two amazing sisters!

Thanks for reading these posts guys. Your responses have amazed and humbled me and have really inspired me to continue. Its not always easy being here and sometimes I feel really alone. So thanks for reading and going through some of these experiences with me, it means alot.

XOXO
S