Yesterday I went with a group of people of whom I knew one, up in the hills near where I live, to a farm laborers camp to bring a party to the kids. Sounds nice, right? Hmmm. I will describe the group I was with in another post; I want this one to be just about the camp. We left the main road and followed a dirt road along the road for a minute and then twisted away and headed up into the hills. Luckily after the horrendous cold we've been having it was almost warm; I was wearing levis, a teeshirt and a red checked flannel. I took it off for about 5 minutes at one point but then slipped it back on. I think we got up there around 12:30, so I guess it was the warmest art of the day. I thought there was going to be around 100 people but I think there were maybe 100 women- maybe a few more, and closer to 200 kids, but hardly any men. At first I only saw one man, a very old man, but later saw only 4 or 5 men, and except for one of them, they did not come over near us or participate in any way. I had heard that they were working half day, and so had expected to see more men, but I did not. I also think that the people actually made up 2 camps and maybe some outlying buildings because I saw some kids lugging their loot over a small hill and saw some buildings (read shacks) in the distance. To use the word "camp" in my mind brings up images of something quite different than what I saw. The people were Indians, and most if not all were from Oaxaca. I wonder if they thought this was where they were going when they left the very southern mainland state of Oaxaca to come up here to northern Baja.
There were long cement buildings, 2 of them, meeting at one corner. Not too long, with walls maybe 10 feet high with side wall to separate but each space was maybe only 6 feet wide...but maybe 10 feet deep- I didn't see how far back they went. There was a couple of feet in, then a wood door of sorts, actually I saw at least one real door, but mostly planks. I heard some housed 20 people. So maybe 4 or 5 boxes on each side.
(Oh my God! That's the first time I ever inserted a photo in my blog! Aha! Now that I know how to do it I will....all the time)
Anyway there was no running water, no hot water, no electricity. The only cars you see came with us. There was water - just none inside. There is a low cement block off to the right of this photo where I saw women getting water, and washing clothes.
We were bringing a party to the kids. I don't know why or how they were chosen- I was just asked to help distribute things to some people in need so I said yes. We brought several "3 Kings cakes" and tons of juice boxes. We brought pinatas. We brought clothes and toys. We brought 50 lb bags of rice. We brought kid's mittens and knit hats.
They had a ball with the pinatas! We divided up smaller kids from bigger ones so we had 2 pinatas going at once. After that we handed out cake and juice- kids first then adults. The 3 kings cakes have a tiny doll in them (a baby Jesus I think). If you get the doll, then the significance is you will make the next party. Because my first job when we got there was to cut the cakes in as small pieces as we could, I saw that each cake had 3 or 4 or 5 dolls in it. They are made in a big ring, like a sticky coffee cake. Very doughy, some with fruit on top. I was amazed that there ended up being enough for everyone (hmmm little miracle maybe?). After the food a couple of activities went on. I was behind one van- the one with toys. We had girls in one line and boys in another...they were all very excited, and there seemed to be enough age appropriate toys to go around...some toys were little, some newer than others but we got them all handed out with just a little chaos. At another spot loads and loads of clothes came out in bags for the women to go thru. Not as many blankets as I would have like to see, but lots of jackets and sweaters and long pants. Oh I forgot- right before the food was the hats and mittens give away. I got to help with that as well. People were very happy to get those! They looked just like the ones I just bought for myself- I think they came from the same place, who had an after Christmas sale. It was all........well it was a good thing to do. I admit that at one point I had to take a little walk...I could not hold back tears and didn't want anyone to see me crying. These people were very proud and very humble at the same time. Bigger kids watched littler ones, adults were respected.
But it was hard. I had been complaining about being cold in the last week- those people would have thought my house was a luxury suite. I saw a tiny little girl, 2 or 3 yrs old, walking with her new pink mittens on and no shoes. Scraggly hair and a runny nose. She clutched tight to both the new toy she received and the cake she hadn't yet eaten. Near the end of our time there, women were lined up using anything they could find for a bag to get rice. Kids now were in little groups playing with new treasures, and men remained out of sight. My heart broke 100 times. My heart soared 99 at smiles, at hope, at laughter.
These people work 7 days a week. The kids don't go to school...I heard some because they have no birth certificates, many don't speak Spanish- they speak and Indian dialect. If a teacher is brought up in the hills to teach- well that takes them away from the work, which means less food for their tables. This is an organic farm that supply Trader Joe's in the U.S., and I think some other stores but I don't know which ones. Trader Joe's is very popular and famous for it's organic produce. Does anyone know the conditions in which it is grown? We always here about sweat shops in Asia or the far East....try Mexico people. If this farm does not supply what Trader Joe's wants they will simply go to another farm willing to do the work. It's a problem for everyone. What are the answers? I don't know. But I do know that something is wrong here.
Did these people come from Oaxaca to work on a farm, in complete poverty, no sanitation, ect? Were they coming north to try to go to the states? Were they simply looking for work anywhere- in Mexico? I know that the more agricultural states in Mexico have workers from southern states during the harvests. In Baja at least, something is always being grown. I don't know if it's the same in other states like Sinaloa which is a huge agriculture state. Do they have dreams for more? What about the kids I saw that were in their teen years? What do they have to look forward to? Do they have dreams of something better? I also saw girls that looked about 14 with babies in their arms or in slings on their backs. I do think that one thing Mexico really really needs is birth control! Because I see young girls with babies everywhere. Not just in the poorer areas. I see such young parents, who have to work, so the grandparents bring up the kids...it's an interesting concept. I don't want to say I think it's just wrong- I am not the judge of this. Family is certainly important...gradparents living with their family is not such a bad thing...in the states we tend to pack them off to the old folks home. Ha ha in my case we had my mom move in with us for a few months- but she was not happy about it and I was not thrilled either! But luckily for her she could afford to go into a nearby assisted living place where she remained active- captain of the shuffleboard team and the residents board...but I think she was an exception. Anyway like I said- I am not the judge- I am just observing.
So it was a hard day, a beautiful day, a tragic day, an uplifting day...although by the end I was in despair and didn't have alot of hope for the future. As people we spend alot on war....but not too much on each other....
There were long cement buildings, 2 of them, meeting at one corner. Not too long, with walls maybe 10 feet high with side wall to separate but each space was maybe only 6 feet wide...but maybe 10 feet deep- I didn't see how far back they went. There was a couple of feet in, then a wood door of sorts, actually I saw at least one real door, but mostly planks. I heard some housed 20 people. So maybe 4 or 5 boxes on each side.
Anyway there was no running water, no hot water, no electricity. The only cars you see came with us. There was water - just none inside. There is a low cement block off to the right of this photo where I saw women getting water, and washing clothes.
They had a ball with the pinatas! We divided up smaller kids from bigger ones so we had 2 pinatas going at once. After that we handed out cake and juice- kids first then adults. The 3 kings cakes have a tiny doll in them (a baby Jesus I think). If you get the doll, then the significance is you will make the next party. Because my first job when we got there was to cut the cakes in as small pieces as we could, I saw that each cake had 3 or 4 or 5 dolls in it. They are made in a big ring, like a sticky coffee cake. Very doughy, some with fruit on top. I was amazed that there ended up being enough for everyone (hmmm little miracle maybe?). After the food a couple of activities went on. I was behind one van- the one with toys. We had girls in one line and boys in another...they were all very excited, and there seemed to be enough age appropriate toys to go around...some toys were little, some newer than others but we got them all handed out with just a little chaos. At another spot loads and loads of clothes came out in bags for the women to go thru. Not as many blankets as I would have like to see, but lots of jackets and sweaters and long pants. Oh I forgot- right before the food was the hats and mittens give away. I got to help with that as well. People were very happy to get those! They looked just like the ones I just bought for myself- I think they came from the same place, who had an after Christmas sale. It was all........well it was a good thing to do. I admit that at one point I had to take a little walk...I could not hold back tears and didn't want anyone to see me crying. These people were very proud and very humble at the same time. Bigger kids watched littler ones, adults were respected.
But it was hard. I had been complaining about being cold in the last week- those people would have thought my house was a luxury suite. I saw a tiny little girl, 2 or 3 yrs old, walking with her new pink mittens on and no shoes. Scraggly hair and a runny nose. She clutched tight to both the new toy she received and the cake she hadn't yet eaten. Near the end of our time there, women were lined up using anything they could find for a bag to get rice. Kids now were in little groups playing with new treasures, and men remained out of sight. My heart broke 100 times. My heart soared 99 at smiles, at hope, at laughter.
These people work 7 days a week. The kids don't go to school...I heard some because they have no birth certificates, many don't speak Spanish- they speak and Indian dialect. If a teacher is brought up in the hills to teach- well that takes them away from the work, which means less food for their tables. This is an organic farm that supply Trader Joe's in the U.S., and I think some other stores but I don't know which ones. Trader Joe's is very popular and famous for it's organic produce. Does anyone know the conditions in which it is grown? We always here about sweat shops in Asia or the far East....try Mexico people. If this farm does not supply what Trader Joe's wants they will simply go to another farm willing to do the work. It's a problem for everyone. What are the answers? I don't know. But I do know that something is wrong here.
Did these people come from Oaxaca to work on a farm, in complete poverty, no sanitation, ect? Were they coming north to try to go to the states? Were they simply looking for work anywhere- in Mexico? I know that the more agricultural states in Mexico have workers from southern states during the harvests. In Baja at least, something is always being grown. I don't know if it's the same in other states like Sinaloa which is a huge agriculture state. Do they have dreams for more? What about the kids I saw that were in their teen years? What do they have to look forward to? Do they have dreams of something better? I also saw girls that looked about 14 with babies in their arms or in slings on their backs. I do think that one thing Mexico really really needs is birth control! Because I see young girls with babies everywhere. Not just in the poorer areas. I see such young parents, who have to work, so the grandparents bring up the kids...it's an interesting concept. I don't want to say I think it's just wrong- I am not the judge of this. Family is certainly important...gradparents living with their family is not such a bad thing...in the states we tend to pack them off to the old folks home. Ha ha in my case we had my mom move in with us for a few months- but she was not happy about it and I was not thrilled either! But luckily for her she could afford to go into a nearby assisted living place where she remained active- captain of the shuffleboard team and the residents board...but I think she was an exception. Anyway like I said- I am not the judge- I am just observing.
So it was a hard day, a beautiful day, a tragic day, an uplifting day...although by the end I was in despair and didn't have alot of hope for the future. As people we spend alot on war....but not too much on each other....
