What I know, what I think I know and what I don't know

Several weeks ago I asked you about what are the 10 "staples" that you always had in your kitchen cupboard.  Thank you to all of you who took the time to respond.  What I learned is that there is a vast variety of foods that people like to eat in Canada and in general most of us have more than 10 staple foods.  The top foods that were several on people's lists are:
*tomatoes (canned or fresh)
*rice
*fruit (apples were popular)
*milk
*bread
*cereal
*chicken
*vegetables (carrots, onions and celery were popular)
*peanut butter
*potatoes

Only one person admitted to having "beef" in the fridge, while someone else listed "vodka and beer" and in response to things found frequently in your kitchen, one person listed their husband!

Some of my week day house mates discussed my Salvadoreno list at length and decided that  I left off avocados, mangos, and limes.  They also thought that tamales (ground corn meal surrounding a filling such as chicken or potatoes, steamed in a palm leaf...yummy) and pupusas (fried patties of ground rice or corn patties stuffed with a variety of fillings --my new favourite is grated zucchini and cheese, but beans and cheese are the most popular -- topped with something like an oil/vinegar coleslaw and tomato sauce) needed to be mentioned in any discussion of Salvadoreno cuisine.

Okay, so this is a bit embarrassing to talk about, but I'm going to talk about it anyway because from this I have learned some important things.  I have been having huge hair issues since I got to El Salvador.  Particularly in rural El Salvador where I spend the week, there is really only one hair style for women, pulled back in a pony tail or a bun of some type.  I have been trying to grow my hair so that it would be long enough.  I thought that having "longer hair"would help me to fit in here.  Finally last week it was long enough for a teeny, tiny pony tail.     In all seriousness it looked stupid.  As well as trying to "fit in" my other reason for not wanting to get my hair cut was fear that it would look even worse   Since women in general don't have short hair, in my vanity and arrogance, I was concerned that a hair stylist here wouldn't know what to do with my hair and with my limited Spanish I'd end up with a really awful hair cut.

On Saturday I was at the big mall in El Salvador and it was really hot and my hair was sticking out everywhere and I just decided I needed to do something about it.  I got brave and walked into a hair place.  My stylist opened up a magazine to a really great hair cut for me and we were off.  On Monday I arrived at the office and everyone noticed my new short hair and were very positive about it.  By the end of the day my  female house mates told me that everyone thought I looked very "guapa" (pretty) and much younger.  Turns out having "Salvadorena" hair is not one of the ways I need to show respect for the culture here.

I have to laugh it all because I was trying so hard to "adapt" to the Salvadorian way of doing things and in this case it didn't matter at all.  It led me to thinking about how many times in my life I do things because I think it is what other people want.  I remember being very surprised when I quietly brought up the subject with my Mom once of not coming home for a "minor" vacation day (it might have been Victoria Day).  Turns out she was glad not to feel obligated to cook a big meal.  We were both locked in our expectations of what we thought the other person wanted.  Interesting...

One of the things that I clearly know nothing about is water.  Until this year it is fair to say that I have given it very little thought.  However, that is all changing.  I think about whether when we turn on the tap in Guaco there will be water to fill the pila.  Since that one Monday night a few weeks ago where there was limited water, there has been enough water at that house.  We are having some problems with the water pump at the house in San Salvador. This meant that on Saturday we had no running water (another reason my hair was awful!).  Hopefully this will soon be fixed.   Even when there is water, there is no "hot" water.  There is only one tap on sinks and the water is tepid to cold (the only place I have found in the country with hot water is the Hilton hotel).

This week I have been spending time with the "water" team.  They are working on a project with "Engineers without Boarders" to bring potable water to rural areas here.  The project is in the planning stages and members of the water team are working with communities to understand their needs, determine the options and eventually to create a strategy.  Water issues are complicated here because there is very little uncontaminated surface or ground water.  In addition to pumping water places it all has to be filtered as well.  The technical aspects of all of this are so beyond my realm at the moment, but the process of engaging communities is fascinating.  Once again, I am in awe of the skill level of the staff here.  I am learning a lot about community development and engagement.   I am looking forward to being able to share some of this with my colleagues when I return to Canada.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts about the staff at Radio Victoria who received threats.  Although there is still fear and security precautions are place, everyone continues to be safe.   This is part to a strong response from the international community, including the United Church of Canada.  Many groups, organizations and individuals contacted authorities in the Salvadoreno government.  A strong international response helps to keep people safe here.  Thank you for being  apart of that response.

 There is a process going on called a Strategic Environmental Assessment which is being conducted by the Ministry of the Economy.  This process will look at the environmental impact of mining and make a recommendation at to whether mining should be allowed here.  Not surprisingly there are huge issues with who is and who isn't allowed to provide information to the consultants, what the scope is and in fact if there is any legitimacy at all to the process.  It appears to me (even with limited Spanish and limited knowledge of process here) that Ministry of the Economy would really like this document to support mining.   This issue will continue to unfold here...it is far from over.

Martha and I enjoy peanut butter toast ( peanut butter was part of the care packages that I have received from home).  Martha is also working on English and so appreciated the easy reading books in English that were sent by friends and family.

Hilda (in purple) and Francisca (in brown) are two of the staff  leading the planning workshop on water .  In this case, the workshop was held on the road and everyone had to pick up their chairs when people riding horses needed to pass through or for the occasional car.  

Santa Marta, Santa Ana and Radio Victoria

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in my life!  Interesting...while there was no "kitch" for Easter, thre is all saved for Mother's Day!  There are more red hearts and little "I love you balloons" than I have ever seen for Valentine's Day anywhere.  This is a serious event here and in fact, it is a National Holiday - celebrated annually on May 10th.

This week I had the opportunity to job shadow/observe  and support the work of the Formal Education Team.  This group of former teachers and a former principal of the school in Santa Marta work with the staff, students, parents and the community in order to address gaps the education system.  They are working on revising the Ministry of Education curriculum to include a number of additional topics, increasing the capacity of teachers, developing the early childhood education system for children pre-natal – 3 years old and working to develop the capacity of parents and the community.    Part of this work includes adult literacy learning circles.    The Ministry of Education provides only part of the funding for the core needs of the school and so money for additional teachers, programs, materials and for the “ADES Formal Education Team”  all come from the International Community. 

            The Santa Marta school is large for a rural school.  It has about 600 students who attend for ½ a day of classes, either from 7:30-12:00 or from 1:00-5:30.  The school has classes for children from Grades 1-Grade 11 (the end of High School).  Each classroom is home to a morning and afternoon class.  Some teachers teach full days and others teach part time (one section).   In addition to the classrooms, there is a small library with few age appropriate books, a computer lab with internet that was funded by the International Community, a science lab with very limited equipment and a multipurpose room for assemblies.   For physical education, the students use the “gancha” a dirt field used for soccer that is adjacent to the school.

            This week I spent three days at the school observing and helping with Grade 1,2, and 3 classes , attending a professional development workshop for teachers,  and helping to plan and deliver a special activity on values for the primary students.    What an experience…both really positive and very challenging.  On the positive side, I saw very passionate and engaged teachers who are working very hard with very limited resources.   The kids were great.  I was a big hit and mostly they weren’t shy about trying to talk to me in either Spanish or English.  They had a lot of fun running up to me and saying “hello” and running away saying “goodbye”.   I even received a few drawings from the kids!

            I met a young girl named “Lupe” in one of the classes.  Lupe very easily becomes upset and then she becomes the classic “mean girl”.  She has the most ferocious “angry look” I have ever seen and then she becomes very aggressive with whomever or whatever has upset her.    However, when you look at “Lupe” you notice that both she and her clothes are dirty and her hair, while long, is not tied back in a ponytail.  Here it is a sign that things are very wrong at home, as cleanliness is so highly valued here.  At one point, “Lupe” came and showed me a healing over small cut on her very dirty hand.  I took out my bottle of hand sanitizer and cleaned her hand a bit and then asked if she wanted some “special cream” (hand lotion).  I rubbed that on.   She then showed me another healing over small cut on her finger.  We did the same process.   She looked up and smiled at me and from that day on, whenever she saw me she smiled.   The poverty in the students is apparent.  I have never seen children with the level of severe oral hygiene problems as I saw in the Santa Marta school children.  I was deeply saddened by the state of one child’s shoes (so tattered they could barely be called shoes), until I noticed one child with bare feet. 

            In order to address some of this, one of classes I attended starts the day with songs about brushing your teeth three times a day and follow up with the importance of washing your hands to keep your stomach healthy.   Students who are healthy enough to be at school are celebrated and good wishes are sent to the students who are sick. 

            During my 3 days in Santa Marta, I spend the nights at home of Nora, one of the members of the education team who lives in Santa Marta.  She is single and lives with her mom, brother Carlos (14),  her sister and her niece Estefany (5).   Everyone was very kind and I had a great time.  Carlos liked to practice English with me.  Estefany is a bright and precocious girl who talked non-stop to me in simple, clear Spanish the whole time I was there.    

            I spent the weekend with my Guaco house mate Soto and his family in Santa Ana, an area about 2.5 hours from the ADES office.  Once again, I had a great time meeting his family and spending time with his extended family.  Soto’s mother helped me with my Spanish pronunciation by reading with me in Spanish.  She explained that she never went to school until she moved  for a few years to Los Angeles in 2000.  She then learned how to read and write in English and then with the encouragement of her teacher, learned how to read in Spanish.  Highly impressive for a woman who would have been in her 60’s at that point!  She was very proud to introduce me to her other 6 children and to her many grandchildren who attended a family luncheon on Sunday.    Many of her grandchildren are now attending University in various programs. 

            Clearly this was a very interesting and engaging week for me.  At the same time it was very difficult for people at ADES.  This week 3 staff – who work as journalists at the local community radio station (a program of ADES)  received multiple death threats because of their work in promoting anti-mining and environmental work.  In response, the anti-mining and environmental sector organized a press conference at the front of the Ministry of the Attorney General’s office in order to demand both protection for those who were threatened and a thorough investigation into the “intellectual authors” of the threats, assaults and murders of people doing this work in this area of El Salvador. 

            I continue to be deeply impressed and impacted by the dedication that people have to their work despite overwhelming challenges and risks.   These threats don’t stop the work and in fact in some ways fuel it as people become even more determined.  At the same time people have been murdered over these issues and so these threats are treated very seriously.   A number of steps have been taken to protect those threatened and to date everyone remains safe.

            One of the things that I am learning is that in response to fear, people can become isolated and rush to “protect their own” or they turn to their community and work together to form a clear, thoughtful and cohesive response.  This week I wanted to let you, my community, know about what is happening here.    Please pray for the continued safety of the staff at Radio Victoria and of those working in the anti-mining and environmental sector.   The impact of Canadian mining companies abroad is serious and significant and for me it is now very, very personal.

            Please be assured that I am very safe and I am being well looked after by my Salvadoreño/a hosts.  The United Church of Canada is also aware of this week’s events and have been in touch to ensure my safety.   If you have any questions or concerns about these issues or my safety please comment on my blog or send me an e-mail.

Part of Santa Marta School

A teacher addressing the students at the beginning of the "Activity  to Promote Values"

Students playing a co-operative game.

Soto and his wife  Mirdala (middle), son Rodrigo and me (left), Reina (Mirdala's sister), and Cesar and Martin (Soto and Mirdala's sons).

Wow, a Harper Majority and Other Things

I'm in a bit of shock...I knew it could happen, but really hoped it wouldn't.  This morning I came into the office, turned on my computer and learned about the election results in Canada.  I feel a lot like I did when Mike Harris won his second term as a hard line majority Conservative Government in Ontario.  I just know that this is not a good result for the people that I work with in Canada.  There is not going to be more support or care for people who are vulnerable, poor or marginalized in our country.  It is probably fair to say that there is not going to be any increases in foreign aid money -- at least the kind of foreign aid that I would be interested in supporting.  I don't really know what else to say about this...

I thought for today's blog, I'd forgo a theme and just share little bits and pieces about life here.  This month I am going to working with the team that works with the formal education system and the team that works on water issues.  After my first meeting with the education team yesterday, there are many important issues that will be topics of serious blogs ahead so I thought I'd keep this one a little bit lighter!

Cross decorated with fruit, vegetables, flowers and paper decorations for the Day of the Cross.

Today, May 3rd is the Dia de la Cruz.  This is a day that marks the end of the harvest season, just before the start of the rainy season.  This is a specially constructed cross at our office.  As I walked around Guacotecti on  my lunch break, I saw a lot of other similarly decorated crosses.  I am told that we will also be celebrating by eating beans for dinner tonight.  I don't yet know why that is the traditional food for today.

As you know, I am working hard to learn Spanish, to adapt to a new culture and to learn about life in a much more rural setting than I have ever experienced and sometimes there are bumps in the road.  About a month ago I attended a meeting of the "economia local" team as they were brainstorming some ideas for their next work plan.  One of the ideas is the creation of a "demonstration project" where they were grow many different types of produce.  It became clear to me that this team had a huge fascination with apples as beside every product (carrots, pineapples, onion etc.) was a notation about apples.  While they are eaten here, apples are not grown here.  I thought that the team was going to start an apple farm but needed to grow other things while the apple trees took time to mature into fruit bearing trees.  I learned this week that "manzana" the word for apple, is also an term of land measurement slightly smaller than an acre.  Turns out the team has no plans for apples but rather was estimating the amount of land they needed!  Oops sometimes when you think you understand, you don't!

In much of El Salvador, animals (mostly cows and chickens) just roam.  My question was this, how does a person keep track of their livestock?  Apparently,  it is instinctive for the animals to return to their home every night.  Like us they look  for their own bed...who knew??? The livestock herds are small enough that the individual homeowner knows all of his or her stock.  Also,  on the livestock theme, people here are concerned about the steroids and other chemicals in their meat, so if you come to El Salvador, you want to eat "Pollo India" a type of chicken that is raised without drugs.

At first I really wondered about the use of the "pila" (the cement holding basin for water).  If you can just turn on the tap and re-fill the "pila" why fill it all?  The answer is this, there is not always water.  Often at our house in Guacotecti, there is only running water one or two days per week.  With the pila filled we can easily wash ourselves, the dishes and do other cleaning.   You can pour water down the toilet and it flushes without there actually being water and pressure...once again something new for me.  We have bottled water for drinking.  Last Monday the pila got filled up.  There was not water the rest of the week and with 6 of us in the house, we used about 3/4 of the water in the pila last week.  Yesterday I turned the tap on and there was only a very small flow of water coming out.

Probably left up to me, I'd have spent night looking at the pila and the tap trying to will more water to come out at a faster rate.  Instead, my house mates made a fabulous dinner  of cream of carrot and other vegetable soup with a bit of curry, scrambled eggs with chopped up green beans and fried plantains with cinnamon.  Of all the great food I have had here, I think Alex's fried plantains last night was the most delicious food I have ever eaten!  Then we played cards.   

As you may recall, I am the only person in my household who showers in the evening, everyone else showers in the morning.  Last night I started asking questions about whether the process for bathing changes when there is not a lot  of water as I didn't want to overuse a scarce resource.  It became clear that while everyone in the house was aware of the situation, I was the only one who was actually concerned about it.  The answer came back that, was that there is some water coming out of the tap so it will probably all be okay.  I bathed quickly last night and we went to bed with the tap on.   After more than 12 hours of filling, the pila is now about 1/2 full.  I am sure that there is a valuable life and theological lesson in this about what we chose to worry about and what we trust will all work out.   Here, so far, mostly things do work out and when it doesn't people deal with it.

A cow and her calves wandering the streets near my house in Guacotecti.

A chicken on the road near the ADES office.

Easter in El Salvador

A new mural in Santa Marta that commemorates all the people who were killed in the Civil War.  

Holy Week and Easter have come and gone for another year.   Easter was difficult for me this year for a number of reasons.  I have always been very uncomfortable with Good Friday.  While I understand the importance of Christ's torture and death to my faith, I'd really rather not think about it.  When I was in Mexico it seemed that crucifixes were literally everywhere.  I find the image very disturbing. Perhaps that is its purpose.

This year I am in this beautiful land, with lovely people.  The older people here have survived a brutal war where torture and death were common place.  Its memories are everywhere - in the art of people, in the scars on the bodies and the land and in the way life is lived.  I am living among people for whom Good Friday is a not just a part of a faith, but rather was a part of their lives.  When I think too much about all of this I become overwhelmed by the pain and misery of it all.

I am also living among a people who live out the hope and beauty of the Resurrection.  The people of Santa Marta who rebuilt their community from literally dirt are a testament to the belief that life can start again after death and that even in the most terrible circumstances there is hope for better futures.  The people that I work with at ADES, who despite lack of resources, huge systemic challenges and overwhelming poverty come to work every day with a smile on their faces ready to do their part to make the world just a little bit better.

Holy Week and Easter are religious holidays here.  They are not cultural holidays, as it is Canada.  I was a bit surprised when I realized that even at the "big mall"  there were no Easter decorations.  There were no displays of chocolate, Easter stuffed animals or Easter decor.  Partly I imagine that this is because it is not Spring here, it is in fact Summer so the images of new life and fertility do not resonate here.  A friend from Canada sent me Easter pencils to distribute as is  my personal custom at my office in Kitchener.  While people here gracious accepted the gift they did not understand what a pencil with cute bunnies in pastel colours had to do with Easter.  However, my friends and colleagues here did warm up to the idea of receiving gifts of chocolate at Easter.  Chocolate is not common here and is relatively expensive.  I found some "Hersey's" products in one store and stocked up.

This was my first "holiday" away and I have to admit to periods of homesickness.  I was also really missing my Mom and thinking about last Easter which was just a few weeks after her death.  I read a lot of my "special book" and I have to say it helped a lot.  What an amazing, funny, inspirational group of friends and family I have.  Thank you.  I also went to the local grocery store and bought some food I could use to make "Canadian food".  It is amazing how much a tuna salad sandwich (with Hellman's mayonaise) and a grilled cheese sandwich with ketchup can do to perk me up!  I was missing the dill pickles with the grilled cheese and have since learned that pickles are available in El Salvador, so I have a new quest!  I also went to my first movie here, a funny comedy with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, where she plays his fake wife.

On Easter Sunday afternoon Jenny's cousin Marie Angeles and her fiance Oscar came by.  Jenny made an incredibly tasty lunch of beef with stir fried onions, green peppers and tomatoes and rice.  Later while Oscar and Jonathan did stuff with Oscar's car, Jenny, Marie and I played cards and then watched a movie.  For dinner we had Pollo Campero (the Salvadoreno equivalent of Kentucky Fried Chicken).   I have come to agree with the Salvadorenos/as that Pollo Campero is better than KFC (less grease, more flavour).  In many ways Sunday was not unlike my tradition in Canada - pleasant time spent with family and friend, eating good food and hanging out.

It was also nice to get back to my "ADES" community.  In general people are looking refreshed, although just like at home, everyone was tired after their "first day" back.  As my friend Lynn says, holidays are nice, but really my soul craves the structure of routine living.  I think that is true for me too.

The Spanish reads "People who forget their history are doomed to repeat it."  This panel commemorates the crossing of the Rio Lempa, as the people were chased out of the village of Santa Marta during the war.  Soldiers followed on foot and in helicopters and shot at people as they were fleeing.  The whole community vacated and lived in a refugee camp in Honduras before returning to rebuild in the area leveled by the Army.

Life and Death in El Salvador

Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply to my question of Canadian cuisine and staples in your kitchen.  I am still compiling the results, so if you want to respond with your list of the 10 things you'd most often find in your kitchen, you still have time to send me an e-mail.  Next week, Holy Week is a week long holiday here.  I am not sure how often I'll be able to check e-mail or if I'll be able to write my blog.  If there is no posting next week don't fret, I'll be back with even more to write about the following week.

Today, as usual, I ate lunch with colleagues from ADES.  One of the people I sat with was Hector and today is his 38th birthday.  In order to help him celebrate many of us gathered this afternoon to eat cake in his honour.  Both lunch and cake were great.  Interestingly Hector has been or will soon be (this is where my Spanish can get rough) by CBC Radio on the impact of Mineral Mining in Central and South America.   Hector has promised me details of the programs airing time and I will of course pass these on to you as soon as I know about them.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to show Hector my blog from last week.  We copied it into Google Translator and he was able to read it in Spanish.  This was a particularly profound opportunity for me because Hector was the man that the Judge had excluded from the Courtroom in last week's blog.  Sadly he concurred that having a Canadian in the audience on the side of the defendants was really important because justice is not impartial here. Hector would know, he is a lawyer himself.  After reading my blog Hector explained to me that I hadn't quite understood two things.  The Judge did not dismiss the charges...rather he stayed them for a year to give the Prosecution the option of bringing new evidence.  The lawyer for the defendants was paid for by the "Mesa" of which ADES is a member, not by ADES directly.

I had the opportunity this week to attend a press conference and a meeting of La Mesa National Frente a la Minera Metalica (Mesa) - The National  Working Group Against Mineral Mining.  I watched Hector at the Press Conference and in many ways was reminded of the work that I did in Canada.  Hector is a knowledgeable and articulate spokesperson for a cause in which he passionately believes.  He does public education events, press conferences and speaks to members of the government about the reasons why he and many others believe that mineral mining is not a good option for El Salvador.  There is one huge difference between Hector's work and mine - Hector lives with the knowledge that his work might one day cause him to be seriously hurt or killed.  Hector received death threats in January, 2011.  See the United Church of Canada website for more information.http://www.united-church.ca/getinvolved/takeaction/110203  In fact most of the people who are members of the Mesa have received threats and 4 members have been murdered in recent years, including the brother of Miguel, another ADES staff.

One of the focuses of the anti-mining work, is in trying to prevent the re-opening of the El Dorado gold mine.  It is owned by a Canadian company called Pacific Rim, which is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia.  When the company began its exploratory work in a community very near to where I am now living, the residents started to learn about  what it would mean if mine began full operations.  Many community members, organizations and Churches have come to the conclusion that the environmental and social costs are far too great to justify its operation.   The Salvadorian Government has listened and at the moment is refusing to grant operational permits.  This action has resulted in Pacific Rim suing (through its American subsidiary) the Government of El Salvador for 70 million dollars through the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).  This process is on-going.

In March, 2006 about 100 people gathered at a Pacific Rim site to protest.  The protest got out of hand and some machinery was damaged resulting in about $1600 (possibly a lot less) in damages and there was a fight between Salvadorenos employees of Pacific Rim and the protesters.  No one was seriously injured.  As a result, 7 people were charged.  This was the case I observed last week.  In then end, there was no evidence presented to suggest that these 7 people had been the people to damage the machinery or who were in the fight.  However, for the past 5 years they have been the victims of intimidation and threats.

At the centre of it all sits Pacific Rim, a Canadian company.  Pacific Rim denies any involvement in the violence here and in fact denies that there is any connection to the deaths, threats, injuries and intimidation suffered by many anti-mining activists.  There is a very small group of Salvadorenos who will profit immensely from the mine opening.  However, it is very hard to know the source of all of this violence because none of this has been thoroughly investigated by the PNC (Federal Police in El Salvador) or by the appropriate departments in the Government.

For a few years now I have been learning about the mining issues and the violence here.   However, this week it became personal because the stories weren't just about faceless people in country far away.  I don't know if I will ever forget the moment that the pieces fell into place and I realized that "my" Hector was the same person in the action alert issued by the United Church in January.   He is like many other people here, neither naive nor foolish, but rather deeply committed to working on issues vitally important to the health and well-being of the people of El Salvador.  When I told Hector this week that I thought he was brave, he replied in his calm and modest way that the work is important.

Hector and I 

A Few thoughts about Privilege and Hope

Once again, apologies for the late posting.  I have been out of the office Tuesday and Wednesday and so today (Thursday)  is my first chance to write my blog.   Before I get into the story I want to share, I am hoping that you will be able to help me with something.  I am often asked about what typical Canadian food is and I have to admit I have a hard time answering that question.  Here, there are about 10 things that would be found in every kitchen all the time (beans, rice, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, green peppers, onion, garlic, cheese and tortillas). I am interested in knowing what are your 10 basic staples?  Please post a comment on my blog or send me an e-mail (lmacaulay2@gmail.com) with your answer or thoughts on Canadian cuisine.  


As some of you know, one of my motivations for coming to El Salvador was a response to an my overwhelming feelings of white privilege and guilt about this fact.  In training in Toronto, one of the other participants commented that many of us are partly doing this as response to white guilt, but that this experience will likely only deepen these feelings.  I had honestly never thought about it that way, I have hoped that this time away would help to resolve not strengthen these feelings.  Our training leader challenged us to focus not on the guilt, but the responsibility.  Truly, I really didn't understand that comment but this week I feel like I have had a glimpse of what this might mean.


Tuesday I had the opportunity to accompany two staff from ADES  to Criminal Court- a lawyer doing human rights work and another staff member who is a highly skilled and competent advocate and spokesperson on issues related to mineral mining.   There was a case against a group of 6 campesinos (peasant farmers)  that ADES has been very interested in and in fact paid for the lawyer for these people.    Ultimately after the proceeding today the charges were dropped essentially because there was no evidence.  This case is the result of charges laid in March, 2006.  This has been going on for 5 years!  On Tuesday, I learned that  unlike in Canada, the courtroom is not open to the public here.  The Judge literally stood at the door and decided who came in and who didn't.  It all happened very quickly.  In the end the Human Rights Lawyer and I were allowed in and the other staff person wasn't.    It was explained to me that "observers" are very important in a Salvadorian Court and can influence the outcome simply by their presence.  I was asked to go because I am a white Canadian.    I was okay with that.  I even figured out that I needed to not say anything to anyone while we were waiting because it was important that they think I understand Spanish.  The Human Rights Lawyer from ADES, who did the talking to the Judge at the door, explained to me later that the Judge didn't want any observers but didn't feel like he could exclude him, a well known Human Rights Lawyer in the area and me a representative of the United Church of Canada.  However, there was no reason to include the other staff person.  As a result, the white Canadian with little knowledge of the case, no connection to the defendants and limited understanding in Spanish was inside the court room while the other staff person, a bright, educated Salvadoreno who knows the case and is well connected to the defendants was excluded.

I know that my skin colour and my passport create a huge amount of privilege for me.  I am acutely aware of that in just about everything I do here.  However, this is the first time that I have experienced discrimination that was this blatant.  I feel very badly for the staff member who was not permitted in the court room.  He has been in meetings outside of the office for the past few days, so I have not had the opportunity to connect with him, but I will.  I think it is important for me to say, I understand what happened, I don't think it is fair or right and I'm sorry. 


However, this is not enough.


I have been asked to write about this situation to my Canadian friends and Church.  This whole situation is particularly disturbing to me because at the centre of this case and many other issues here, is a Canadian company.  I am still gathering some information, as I want to make sure that I understand the issues before sharing it all with you, but that will be next week's blog.


I talked to a salvadoreno friend about this situation the day it happened when I was feeling quite sad about it all.  He reminded me of two things, one is that by the work that we do every day we try to make the world a bit more just and secondly, the final kingdom of God will be just and our hope comes from our belief in our Salvation.  It is so easy to understand why Archbishop Romero is such a hero here.  He preached the radical idea that God is with the poor and that in God's ultimate kingdom there would be peace and justice for the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized.

On the weekend Jenny, Jonathan, Nelson (Jenny's boyfriend) and Jorge (Jenny's Uncle) and I went to Lago Ilopongo.  It is a beautiful small lake near San Salvador, as you can see in this photo!

This is the entrance to the main building at the ADES compound.  You will notice Gus and Negro, the two agency dogs who both provide security (although generally they like to lay around) and company for ADES staff and visitors.  You'll notice the Christmas garland is still up...is the agency for me or what?!

Twice a month, the "economia local" team organizes a "feria" (a market) in our agency parking lot,  where the people that they work with to increase local food production come and sell their goods.  In the blow up pool are live tilapia (fish) that you can buy and take home for dinner.  Behind the pool, in the white crates are live chickens.  I asked a colleague how people take the live chickens home (as the fish get put in a plastic bag, but they are relatively small) and apparently people just put them under their arm!

This is the dish washing area at our office.  In the white and blue barrels are water.  Dirty dishes are placed on the tree stump, washed using a solid cake of soap and a sponge and then rinsed using water from the barrels.  In the blue barrel, you will notice a small plastic basin floating.  This is used to pour the rinse water over the clean dishes.  I have learned that the secret to washing dishes in cold water is to use lots of soap!

This is our favourite lunch spot.  Everyone in the picture is staff at ADES.  You'll notice Alonzo front and center and  that is Jenny's back in the front.    The "restaurant" is in Morena's house and the tables are on her front porch.  Everyday she makes 2 different entrees and generally rice, potatoes, beans and a salad of some type.  The "private dining room" is literally the dining room of her house. 

4 of my teammates in the "Area de Organizacion" office - from left to right -
Edith, Gilma, Rosa and Tita.    

ADES

Sorry for the late posting this week, we've had some power and internet issues here!  As I am on a very short time frame for posting this, I'll forgo adding pictures this week but will make sure there are lots next week!

First of all, I want to say "bienvenido mis amigos/as salvadoreno/a".  This week one of my colleagues asked for my blog address.   With the help of GoogleTranslator a few colleagues here have visited my blog and read some of my postings.  Jonathan told me that he particularly liked the section about him setting up my cell phone! In all seriousness, I am very pleased that people in my ADES family are reading along and I hope they will let me know when I inevitably get things wrong!

This week I want to write about two experiences.  The first involves a lovely young family - Mom, Dad and two daughters ages 7 and 2.  Dad is involved in a program at ADES to help him increase his family's income.  Through that service it became known that his daughters have medical issues that need more attention.  Dad got introduced to my boss, Gilma (pronounced Hilma), and she has been working on the medical issues.  One day I had the opportunity to accompany Gilma and Oscar, another staff person, to the local hospital to discuss the situation.  In the end, Gilma got the Director and the Head of Pediatrics to see the two daughters and to make the referral (complete with free x-rays if needed) to the children's hospital in San Salvador.    Gilma arranged a meeting with the family and to discuss the next steps.  I was able to accompany her and Oscar on this community visit as well.   

The place where the family lives is in a rural village about 40 minutes by pick-up truck from our office.  The last 8-10 kms of the trip is really, really rough road.  We found the family waiting for us by the side of the road.  The girls are really cute.  Both girls have deformed hands which are particularly pronounced for the 2 year old.  The girls also have feet and eye problems and have recurring serious lung issues.  They are very, very petite and the 7 year old is only slightly taller than her 2 year old sister.  We decided to accompany the family to their home.  This is a 40 minute walk literally down a mountain on a steep footpath.   The 7 year old walks this daily on her way to and from school.  It was tough going in parts and at one point, Gilma, while telling me to be careful, slips and falls.  She was fine, but I think about how difficult it would be to get someone out of here if there was an accident.  

We eventually reached the house.  The location was stunning.  Much to my surprise, there was some electricity - lights and couple of plugs.  Of course, the house is unbelievably clean but it is literally on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.   As we walking back up the mountain, Gilma explains to me that the girls problems are the result of chronic malnutrition and gestational malnutrition.  I feel like I am in a World Vision commercial, it is the first time I have looked into the eyes of a beautiful child who is malnourished.  This week Gilma accompanied the family to the local hospital, where the little girl was diagnosed with ongoing lung issues.  The referral is being made and they will both see pediatric specialists in San Salvador, eventually.  In the mean time, the father continues to work with staff in the “economia local” program to increase the family’s income.  There are no practical supports available to this family so it is likely that the lack of food problem will persist for the foreseeable future. 

My emotions are all over the place about this situation.  I am very pleased that ADES is the type of organization that “goes the distance” with families.  Even though this is not her “job”, Gilma’s advocacy has made sure that two girls will get medical care.   At the same time, I am deeply saddened that in this world of plenty these two beautiful girls and their parents, just don’t have enough.  I have also been told that this situation is not unique here.  I know that and that my reaction, over time, will be less visceral.  However, I suspect that I will carry this family with me for a long time.

Later last week, I went to an event to commemorate the assignation of Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of El Salvador on March 24, 1980.  At this event, my job was to get everyone to sign the attendance sheet.  They needed to print their name, the name of their community and sign it.  Gilma also gave me an inkpad in case people wanted to make a thumbprint rather than a signature.  This was a group of about 80 adults of various ages.  In the end I managed to get 64 signed the attendance sheet.  I have worked with people with low literacy levels in Canada, but I had never seen a group of people work so hard to print their name and their signature.  Each person literally took about 5 minutes – once they understood what they needed to do.  Probably a dozen or so put their thumbprint.  Once again, I realized how privileged I am to have the literacy level I have in a second language. 

In terms of what ADES does...You have already read a bit about the work of my team with women and youth.  There is also a “economia local” team that works with households to increase local production through small home based businesses.  Another group of people are working to improve the education system and a fourth team is working on issues related to mining and water and there is one person working on human rights issues.    Finally there is a group of people in administration who, like their counterparts everywhere, keep the agency going on a day to day basis.  I will talk more about the work of ADES in future blogs as I understand it more.  Just let me say that I feel deeply honoured to work with this passionate, committed, fun and highly skilled group of people. 

As part of the popular education, staff at ADES have many, many shirts and other items with logos and sayings on them.   On Wednesday, I was asked to pick out a shirt from a small selection in the “Economia Local” office.  I got wind yesterday of a conversation about me getting a “camisa de ADES” manana.   I carefully put the shirt in my backpack thinking that I received it to wear at an event the next day, but as it turns out I will receive another shirt for that event.  I learned this when someone stopped by to ask if I didn’t like my new shirt, because I wasn’t wearing it!  I am just about to go for lunch, and wearing a new shirt is way too much pressure…sure to slop…so I’ll put it on after lunch!  I am very pleased to have my first “ADES” corporate wear.   It feels like another step in the integration process.