La Herencia de Los Vulnerados

“A nation`s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

- Mahatma Gandhi -

It feels as though I have not written in a very long time, probably because so much has happened in these past two weeks. However, I’d like to devote some space to what has been happening with my job and Mount Sinai. I’ll give you a rundown of the other new things in the next blog.

At work, things have been pretty crazy. Two weeks ago Coli and I attended a presentation by two Hogar de Cristo volunteers. Over the past 2 years, in their time here in Ecuador, they have been gathering information about Mount Sinai through surveys and investigation. Julian (from Spain) and Javiera (from Chile) devoted their time as volunteers to compiling what is easily the most comprehensive information about the population of Mount Sinai to date.

The presentation, entitled “Monte Sinaí: La herencia de los vulnerados” (The inheritance of the vulnerable), covered areas such as the Economic Dimension, Social Dimension, Education, Health, and Environmental Risks. Prior to this research, the poverty and problems this community face every day had not been quantified. Mount Sinai is estimated to have over 270,000 inhabitants—a population equivalent to Cuenca, Ecuador’s 3rd largest city—and over 50% of the people are impoverished. Over half of the people have only completed primary schooling and around 75% of the families make less than $340 a month. 65% of the patients at the Hogar de Cristo medical centers suffer from respiratory problems, and anemia affects the majority of newborns in Mount Sinai.

Data like this has never been compiled and released for the people of Mount Sinai and Guayaquil as a whole, and in the past couple weeks it has meant a lot for the community. Word of the presentation spread quickly and two days later an article was published in El Universo about the vulnerable in Sinai. Prior to this piece the only real news that existed about Mount Sinai was related to crime; for news to hit the internet about the people and the basic needs of an incredibly large community was an enormous step.

The next day I got into work and was told we would be following a national news channel around Mount Sinai. EcuaVisa was going to be filming interviews with committee leaders and footage of the community for a program specifically on the vulnerability of Mount Sinai. That morning I got to follow an anchor and cameraman around the neighborhoods as they interviewed the people I’ve been working with the past month about their lives and the lives of their friends and families. Unfortunately I did not get to watch the program, as we do not have a functioning TV in the house, but I hope to see it soon.

All of this commotion in a community that has been overlooked and passed by for years caught others’ attention, and last Wednesday myself, Coli, and many members of the community took a bus to the (very nice) campus of the Catholic University of Guayaquil. That morning Julian and Javiera re-gave their presentation on Sinai, this time to a packed presentation room with professors, students, and the president of the university alongside the people of Mount Sinai. The director of Hogar de Cristo spoke, 3 different news stations were there, and they even had catered treats.

That week I saw men and women from this community stand up amongst a crowd to ask questions of the men in suits up front. I saw committee leaders stand in front of a giant camera with an anchor’s microphone in their face and spoke about the flooding of their houses and their access to medical care. It was a surreal and exciting experience, and I pray it was a glimpse of hope for those living here and those working towards development. However, it was also sad, to realize how many people who live so close to here have no idea about this community, these people, and the reality of their struggles.

The weeks leading up to these had been difficult at work, primarily because I was still struggling to figure out how exactly I would fit in or best use my talents. Some days were slower than others, and there were days where I’d think about how much having me as a volunteer really helps the office. These two weeks definitely gave me a rejuvenation of hope, excitement, and gratitude for the job I’ve been assigned. To be able to work in an office whose sole purpose is to accompany a community in their struggle to improve the conditions of the people…that is something I am so grateful for being a part of. Sure, it is much easier to get excited when I can be a part of something like these last two weeks: when I tangibly see progress and things seem to be moving forward. What I need to remember is how much a blessing it is to be on that team when those things are absent; when accompanying the people means continuing your work despite the recent progress or lack thereof, with more hope than the day before. Whether or not these last two weeks lead to a drastic change, we can show them, through our actions—as volunteers, as a community organizing office, as neighbors, and as friends—that people still care.

Please keep in mind the people of Mount Sinai.

With Love,
Miguel