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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE October 28, 2007
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| August 17, 2007 |
Cartagena, Colombia – From problems to progress: grassroots development in an Afro-Colombian community |
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| The small village of Arroyo de Piedro faced serious problems in securing their food supply and the land they live on |
Just 30 minutes’ drive from the tourist idyll of Cartagena lies Arroyo de Piedro – home to a distinct Afro –Colombian community, the descendants of those forced here by the terror of the sixteenth century slave trade. The dark shadow of colonialism has long gone, but the marginalisation of this group has not as they continue to struggle in today’s economy. Their first problem is simply securing enough food to live in face of the barrier of poverty. With tourist developers also pressuring residents to sell their land, the very existence of this community was at stake. Peace Boat took a group of its participants beyond the city’s walls and mangrove swamps to see why a development initiative it is supporting here means this small village will not only survive, but also progress. |
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| A local home-grower points up into the greenery of her coconut palms and guava trees |
Local residents were quick to lead the visitors into their homes, showing how they themselves are addressing the primary problem of food security. Huge, lush palms towered over the small plots where coconuts, bananas, guava and much more are being grown. “Before, people’s yards were just used as patios”, explains Aura Erosa, from local NGO Kontiki. Four years ago, only 10% of the community were growing their own food, dependent on expensive produce from the town. Now half of Arroyo de Piedro are self-sufficient in this way and are continuing to develop their home growing. “At first, many just grew corn” remembers Aura, “but now residents are thinking about what is sustainable and what will feed them all year round”. |
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| Families led the participants deep into the village as they showed them where they raised livestock |
In another dwelling, Peace Boat participants could see how the food gap is also being bridged as families raise their own livestock. The intrigued crowd carefully dodged the teeming pack of hens and cockerels running around their feet as they heard how the family had originally begun with just four chickens. “The community was so poor they just did not have the capital to set up this self-sufficient way of life” says Ermia Unes, President of a third allied NGO, Asopiedra. Now there is so much produce, there is even a little left over to sell, while the variety of produce means the residents also have a much more nutritious diet. |
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| Now the smallhold farmers and their families can afford to stay and live in the community they have built up |
Yet this progress is more than just about having enough to eat. Being able to live off the land means more of the community can also afford to stay on it. Previously, dire poverty left many residents little choice when Canadian and US tourist developers forced them to sell their land and move on. Half of the area has already been sold to the resort builders. Now there is another option. “I realised if I sell, we’ll only have to find another place to live”, reasons one local farmer, whose recent litter of muddy piglets lazing in the nearby pen gives him and his family some guaranteed income and sustenance. |
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| Local students and Japanese participants learn from each other at Arroyo de Piedro’s school |
This model of sustainable living has addressed the community’s immediate problems, but what of its future? At the local school, Principal Fredis Quintana showed how continued learning will help secure the benefits of the community’s progress for generations to come, and beyond. “I believe education is the key to the development of our country. We are doing our best to build a strong education system” he said. Peace Boat’s United People’s Alliance (UPA) programme helped to strengthen that system as it made its donation of nearly 15,000 stationery supplies. Over a delicious lunch of juicy watermelon and satsumas grown in the village, the benefit of this education was clearly visible as pupils laid on polished performances of local folklore and quickly mastered some origami paper-folding techniques from their guests. |
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| Schoolchildren waved their visitors off with the miniature Japanese flags they had made |
Amid the excitement of cultural exchange a torrential downpour and the ensuing power cuts could not stop the group’s enjoyment as they clapped and sang together. But eventually the time had come for the Japanese participants to wade through the mud drenched streets and back to the bus. Yet many left feeling this community had turned a corner. “Despite the poverty, I really felt the will to survive and do better. There is a deep love for family and community” said Chihiro Fujima. “It seems as though they have a real future ahead of them”. |
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