A different side

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Yesterday afternoon was a sobering break from the constant celebration of last week. We started our afternoon activities at the tomb of Monsenor Girardi, who was a bishop in Guatemala who wrote a book entitled "Guatemala, never again" in which he listed all of the names of those who were murdered during the civil war and the people responsible. He was murdered two days later. He is looked upon in Guatemala as a martyr to peace. Last week we visited the human rights foundation that he created. The tomb was decorated with colored sand, flowers, and messages. This week is the 10 year anniversary of his death, so there are a lot sign and posters around about him.

Next, we went to the city cemetery. It sounds very morbid, but you can really learn a lot about a culture from its cemetery. We pass by the cemetery on our way to school everyday, so it was very interesting to finally get a chance to go inside. It is very different from American or European cemeteries. Firstly, it's set up much like the city, with calles (streets) going one direction and avenidas (avenues) the other. The tombs are built up instead of in the ground (except for the English, German, and Jewish sections) and some of the bigger ones resemble houses and churches. The most apparent feature of the cemetery is how a person's class follows them even in death. The difference between the massive crypts of the rich and the very humble graves of the poor was amazing. This was the only cemetery in the city for many years, so there are former presidents buried here, along with regular people. The graves of the poor are set up almost like drawers. Some people cannot even afford a gravestone, so they simply carve the name in with their finger in the cement. It was very sad to see. But it was also lovely to see all of the flowers placed there by loved ones, unlike on the elaborate graves of the rich. After 10 years, the family of those buried in the poor section either has to move the body, or it is disposed of to make room for others. It's very disturbing. In contrast, the wealthy people build huge, elaborate family tombs and own that land forever. The dichotomy between rich and poor is as evident in the cemetery as everyday of their lives in the city.

Adjacent to the cemetery is the dump. Not only is this the place where all of the trash is collected, it's also unfortunately where many people try to make a living. They dig through the trash everyday trying to find things of value, such as plastic, glass, car parts, anything that they can sell. They work in horrible conditions all day and their homes are not much better. Some of these people are actually the parents of the kids that I teach at school. Our school is only a few blocks from the dump and all of the children live in that area. It was sobering to actually see what I had heard described to me by the staff here and imagine what the kids' lives are like at home. It renewed me to want to do my best for them while I'm here. Education really is their only way out of that kind of life. Not only do they spend all day at school, but when they return, most of them have to help their families short through the trash collected throughout the day. You wouldn't really know it by their attitudes, but these kids go through a lot on a daily basis. It's a kind of life that I really can't imagine. There is definitely poverty in America, but the level of poverty here is staggering. Staring at the dump and then driving around the neighborhood reminded me why I'm here and why what I'm doing actually is important. These kids had no choice in being born in that area, and it's only through their efforts and the help of adults at school that they will be able to escape and make a better life.

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Photos

The graves in the poor section of the cemetary
Each space is decorated by the family.

The crypt for a family that owns a big brewery
It's a huge contrast between this huge, elaborate egyptian crypt and the tiny spaces afforded to the poor people

A street in the cemetary
The streets are organized in the same way as the city with avenidas and calles

Comments

[Mom]

Poverty of tragic proportions!
What an eye-opener. The juxtaposition of the tree with the crows against the backdrop of the dump is a pretty powerful image. It just seems so Poe-etic. Nevermore. Nevermind - not worth thinking about. Anyway...It really is powerful to see the struggle of nature against what mankind is doing to the planet. The resilience of people who find a way to eke out a living for themselves and their families in such an environment is pretty danged amazing. And the fact that they somehow find a way to send their children to school to better themselves and perhaps find a way out of that life is a powerful story in itself. I'm proud of you for being there and working to make a difference in the world!