Schools in Need:
The Solidaridad en Caja campaign is presently helping out two communities in Argentina: Belén, Catamarca and Tekoa Arandú. Here is more about these communities and their need.
1) The schools in Belén, Argentina: School 485 in La Estancia, and School 358 in Las Barrancas
¨Esperamos que nuestro pedido sea escuchado y que compartan nuestro deseo de protejer a nuestros niños y jóvenes con sus sueños y fantasías brindándoles las herramientas para que transformen sus condiciones de vida y construyan sus proyectos personales.¨
¨We hope that our request is heard and that they share our desire to protect the children and young peoples´ hopes and dreams, blessing them with the tools to transform their living conditions and achieve their personal goals.¨ - Gloria Robles Director of School 485 in La Estancia
Situated in the north of rural town, Belén, Catamarca, Argentina are two schools from La Estancia (485) and Las Barrancas (358) much in need of the support from today´s society. They are both very unfortunate areas, considering they are situated 1400 meters above sea level, they suffer extreme cold in the winter and blazing heat in the summer. They are also deprived from common commodities such as potable water, transportation of any sort, medical attention, means of communication and media. They are fortunate enough to have electricity but it by no means suffices enough.
In each town, there are less than 300 habitants living in traditional horticulture conditions trying to make a living off of raising goats and growing corn, peppers, and some even walnuts. Additionally, those struggling in these conditions include children working at a very young age to support their families as well as single mothers working hard to compensate for lack of support in their home.
Many of the continuing problems that keep these areas trapped in a constant struggle to improve their quality of life stems from a lack of education. Both areas are represented by a wide population of illiterate individuals or those attend primary education but lack proper infrastructure and resources to prepare them to move on to secondary education.
Presently, School 485 in La Estancia, consists of approximately 70 students ranging from adolescents to adults working to complete grades 1-9. Students travel far distances and precarious roads on foot to get to this small stone school that feeds their hunger for learning and need for education. Recently the school has developed programs to reach out to illiterate children and adults inside and outside the school and now are currently looking to develop a public library. They also are looking for opportunities for to incorporate today’s technology to further develop their education program.
These schools in Belén, Catamarca, Argentina, School 485 in La Estancia and School358 Las Barrancas, are waiting on support from programs like ProyectARG´s ¨Solidaridad en Caja¨ to continue to support their educational program and further develop its progress. We encourage you to join our campaign to help provide the people of Belén a brighter future and a better tomorrow.
2)The schools of Tekoa Arandú
Driving along Route 14, you¨ll cross the Province of Misiones. Woods of araucarias and palm trees framing the road, sounds of wind, streams and toucans: it´s the jungle getting near. As part of the landscape, a rustic stall made of wood and banano leaves exhibits its handcrafts in solitude; going still inner, you will see a Guaraní village, the community “Tekoa Arandú”
They live according to the essence MBYA Guaraní, deeply attached to Earth “Ivy-Pora” (Soul of the Earth), which has gone inside their spirit, thus giving place to such an unbreakable symbiotic bond that the treasures of their religion and culture are present in every aspect of their lives, giving meaning to each one of their actions.
As an original community, many factors have changed for them, however, an essential element has kept them alive as a culture, something that has survived through centuries, something that even in these days, allow them to continue being Mbya Guaraníes: their religion conceived as an unbreakable bond of their cosmovision, their dances, rituals and sacred music.
According to their culture, leadership doesn´t mean having any prerogatives, but obligations and the capacity to lead the destinations of the group, to solve internal conflicts, to keep the security and safety (food, control over access to strangers, and over individual trespassing of the communitary rules), and to distribute wealth.
They say that the most respectful chief is, simultaneously, the poorest in the village.
The Chief (Cacique), a name given by white people, is for them the Ruvichá, and the Pai is the Opyguá. The Cacique is chosen by God in dreams, and materialized in the sacred song, an expression of the man to keep himself joined to God as his “Spiritual Son”. One of the Opyguá of the village has the “gift” for music, and he coordinates the rest of the people in their daily ritual practices, where they use instruments made with elements from the land, Mbarakas made of pumpkins, drums made of cedar and furs, a 5 strings “criolla” guitar (strings are plain threads used for fishing), Takuapí of canes beaten by women against the ground. Children sing and add magic to the moving MBYÁ Guaraní music.
Tekoa Arandu is one of the communities that has achieved the ownership of the land, but, due to a clause of “no innovation”, they are not allowed to dispose of the nature of their territory, and, because of their lifestyle,they need a vast extension of land to survive. An example of this, is that all their medicines are made with elements taken from the biggest trees, the same big trees that are cut down from their roots by surrounding timber factories.
Their food, source of energy and sacred beliefs are linked to the land and forest.
The mortality rate is low, anyway, they suffer from illnesses that white people have, so they accept being treated by the white doctor. However, the last doctor they had, retired 5 years ago and since then, the authorities have not appointed another one . The community chose one of its members to be trained as a Health Agent, recognized by the Government. That is the reason why Emiliano Benitez is a nurse nowadays, and he takes a register of height, weight and general health condition of each child in the village, but he has no supporting elements for the prevention or diagnose of diseases.
Not far from the community, there is a school, the Bilingual Provincial Public School Nº 812 (Escuela Pública Provincial Bilingue ), with three white teachers who speak the rudiments of guaraní, and two auxiliary translators (bilingual), who are guaraníes and work ad honorem. The assignation of a school is the product of their demand of a Spanish language teaching to their children, that would enable them to communicate and to avoid being cheated by the white people.
The school was built with the materials and architectonic design given by the provincial government, and the free workmanship of members of the Guarani community. Only the school has electric light in the area, but lacks drinking water, bathrooms and canteen. There are no telephones or means of transport, not even to take a patient to the nearest hospital, 60 km away.
