Life at the Margins

     In the past few weeks, we have had the opportunity to visit some communities at the edges of Lima, located near and on the sides of hills.  They began the same way.  A group of people “invaded” these unincorporated areas and began to establish their presence.  They started by simply by picking a spot marked by their mats of woven reeds.  Over time, they built their own houses by accumulating enough funds to buy the bricks and materials they needed to begin.  They built the walls and floors first.  Their house was considered complete once they were able to put up a permanent roof.  It might take several years or perhaps an entire generation to build, but it was possible to achieve a modest home a family could claim as their own.  (Since the climate of Lima is quite moderate and it almost never rains, it is possible, though perhaps difficult, to achieve this dream).  In time, the government finally recognized these houses as legitimate and began to charge the new homeowners a fee.  This entitled this new community, a pueblo joven, the right to electricity and water, though it usually took years for these services to become available.  Paved roads were eventually established as well.  Though progress was slow, conditions gradually improved.  The next generation might move out or simply work to slowly add a second floor to the house.  The generation after that could start a third floor.  In fact, much of Lima looks unfinished.  There are plenty of houses and buildings awaiting bricks for the next wall or floor.

     The development of these pueblo jovenes is not only a long and arduous struggle, but there can also be some significant obstacles these “invaders” must deal with.  In the district of San Juan de Miraflores, the “invaders” settled in an undeveloped area on Christmas eve, 1954.  Soon the police moved them out and burned their mat “houses”.  The people returned.  The police harassed them again.  More people returned.  Finally, the military confronted the people.  The people processed with their statue of Our Lady of Mercy, who also happens to be the patron of the military with the title of “Field Marshall”.  Between that and the many Peruvian flags the people carried and displayed on their houses, the military official in charge got the message from Mary that he was not to “attack my people.”  The military and the police finally gave up and the invaders were allowed to work on developing their community.  Interestingly enough, it was mostly women who provided leadership for this community.  In many cases, the husbands rejoined their wives after they realized it wasn’t going to be business as usual.

     Women are also leading the way in the district of Independencia, where Franciscan Sisters have helped the women to organize.  With some government assistance, the women formed clubs for food preparation and distribution as well as selling resources like fuel, medicines, and other items.  They even established a pasta making facility.  Women organized a center for handicrafted items including Christmas embroidery featuring Peruvian scenes for sale in England, thanks to a Mercy Sister’s connections.

     After a community is established, other services begin.  In the Canto Grande section of the San Juan de Lurigancho district, the Christian Brothers run a Fey y Alegria (faith and joy) school for the children of the local area.  This is a site where few paved roads exist and many families still do not have electricity.  I had the opportunity to witness the anniversary of the school.  I didn’t notice the poverty as much as the joy in the people as many students and others demonstrated their skills in song and dance.

     I have seen no slums in Lima.  To be sure, there are plenty of signs of poverty, but slowly the people of Lima do what they can to improve their lot.  Lima and Peru have their dark sides as well, of course, but mostly I see good people working hard to overcome whatever obstacles may come their way.  There are huge struggles, but there are also signs of hope.