Salvando vidas y extremidades en Oaxaca, una banqueta a la vez

Empezamos a notar las reparaciones por primera vez hace dos años. Banquetas donde nos habíamos acostumbrado a esquivar agujeros traicioneros o tornillos medio escondidos de repente fueron arregladas. Las reparaciones siempre fueron esmeradas, limpias y solidas, etiquetadas a mano con la inscripción “Gpo. Salvando Vidas Oaxaca.”

No importa si es nuevo en Oaxaca o ha vivido aquí por años, ciertamenta ha notado, quejado, o quizás se ha lastimado transitando las notoriamente agrietadas, rotas y obstaculizadas banquetas de la ciudad. Las banquetas no parecen ser la responsibilidad de nadie; claro, el municipio no las repara, ni los dueños de casas ni negocios. Si usted es como nosotros, probablemente se ha encogido de hombros; decidió que así es como está aquí, y aprendió a caminar con mucho cuidado.

Pero evidentemente no era el caso con este Gpo. Salvando Vidas Oaxaca, quienquiera que fueran. Teníamos curiosidad, pero no suficiente para que los rastreáramos hasta este año, cuando nos encontramos otra reparación, pero esta vez con un número de teléfono añadido a la inscripción.

Una de las más de 200 reparaciones hechas por el Gpo. Salvando Vidas Oaxaca, A.C.

Llamamos al número y hablamos con un hombre muy agradable quien nos explicó que sí, él era el jefe del grupo, y que él y su esposa estarían encantados de conocernos y contarnos sobre su trabajo. Arreglamos una cita para tomar un café unos días más tarde.

Aprendemos que este grupo para salvar vidas y extremidades es en gran medida us asunto de familia. El padre de familia, Manuel Chávez Núñez, nos dijo que se le ocurrió la idea en marzo de 2014, cuando vio a una persona discapacitada caer por falta de una coladera. Viendo a la persona herida siendo llevada en una ambulancia, decidió que era necesario hacer algo para proteger a otros peatones. Platicaba con su familia—su esposa Ángeles San Juan y sus hijos, Carolina, de 23, y Manuel, de 20—presentando la de idea como algo que ellos pueden hacer juntos para ayudar a otros. “Somos una familia muy cercana, caseros realmente,” dice Manuel. Entonces vino naturalmente a ellos asumirlo como un proyecto familiar.

Cubrir el lugar peligroso que ha mandado la persona discapicitada al hospital resultó ser nada mas que la primera de muchas reparaciones parecidas—¡hasta ahorita más de que 200! Decir que esta familia es de Buenos Samaritanos ni siquiera empieza a hacerles justicia.

“Una vez que habíamos empezado, nos dimos cuento de que hay muchos, muchos lugares que necesitan reparaciones,” dice Manuel. “Nos hemos convertido en 'policía de la calle,' siempre buscando obstáculos que son peligrosos para peatones.”

Al principio, mantuvieron un perfil bajo, no seguros de como las autoridades reaccionarían. Pero eventualmente hablaron con el gobierno municipal para ver o si podían conseguir que el gobierno asumiera responsibilidad para las reparaciones necesarias o al menos para asegurarse de que no se meterían en problemas debido a sus trabajos.

“Si el gobierno nos manda dejarlo, lo dejaremos,” dice Manuel. “En teoría, es la responsibilidad de la ciudad. Pero nos dejaron claro que no tenían los recursos para hacer lo que estabamos haciendo. Habría sido un problema si se hubieran opuesto, pero en lugar nos dijeron 'adelante.'”

Manuel y Ángeles están decepcionados de que el gobierno municipal no haga lo que debe hacer, pero se niegan a estar enojados. “No estamos contra el gobierno,” dice Manuel. “No vale estar en contra de algo o alguien. En lugar, decimos que el gobierno nos ha dado la oportunidad, como ciudadanos, de tomar acción.”

Cuando quedó claro que este asunto iba a ser un proyecto grande y continuo, y que de vez en cuando las personas fuera de la familia estarían involucradas como voluntarias, decidieron formalizer el grupo como Asociación Civil, o A.C. Manuel nos mostró el paquete grueso de papeles que define los derechos y responsibilidades de la asociacion. “Pagamos por el acta constitutiva para que tuviéramos el derecho legal de actuar para beneficiar a la comunidad,” dice Manuel.

El trabajo que hacen no es fácil ni barato. Ellos donan su tiempo y mano de obra, al igual que los voluntarios ocasionales, pero tienen que pagar por las herramientas, la madera aserada, el cemento, la barra de refuerzo y los otros materiales que usan. A medida que han adquirido experiencia, han asumido mayores y más dificiles reparaciones. Para reforzar y volver a concretar un agujero de un metro puede costar por lo menos $800. Eso es un gasto de bolsillo sustancial para una familia apoyada solamente por el trabajo de Manuel como sastre.

“Empezamos incluir nuestro número de teléfono hace más o menos seis meses con la esperanza de animar a la gente a contribuir,” explica Manuel, “Pero no hemos recibido ningunas donaciones hasta ahorita.”

Claramente, donaciones o no, el grupo continuará reparando banquetas por todo Oaxaca con el objectivo de salvar tantas vidas y extremedades como puedan. “Muchas personas son indiferentes, o simplemente piensan que banquetas rotas y los accidentes que causan son naturales,” dice Manuel. “Pero nosotros pensamos diferente. No podemos ser indiferentes, ni dejarlo a otros. Tomamos la decisión de tomar medidas, y lo hemos hecho.”

“Viene de la empatía,” dice Ángeles, “el amor por los demás.”

Se puede encontrar más informaciones sobre el Gpo. Salvando Vidas Oaxaca, A.C. en su sitio de Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GSVOAX/.

Puede ver videos de sus trabajos en YouTube. (Navega en YouTube y busca “Gpo. Salvando Vidas Oaxaca.”)

Estarían agradecidos de recibir donaciones de mano de obra, materiales o dinero. Si desea ser voluntario, contribuir o saber más, llama a Manuel a 951 328 6528.

Robert Adler y Jo Ann Wexler

You can find an English version of this post at this URL.

END OF THE LINE FOR OUR GUIDEBOOK VIVA OAXACA

After many years researching, writing and revising our guidebook to Oaxaca, Viva Oaxaca: An Insider's Guide to Oaxaca's Charms, we've decided that it's time to retire it. The Kindle version will no longer be available, nor will new copies of the print version. However, used copies should still be available via amazon.com and other sources of used books.

We want to thank all of the readers over the years who have told us that Viva Oaxaca added something to their time in Oaxaca. That was our goal, and we're glad to have been able to contribute in that way.

Of course, Oaxaca continues to be a beautiful, fascinating and rewarding place to visit. We'll continue to write and post photos about our experience of Oaxaca on this site.

SAVING LIVES AND LIMBS IN OAXACA ONE SIDEWALK AT A TIME

We first starting noticing the repairs two years ago. Sidewalks where we'd gotten used to dodging treacherous holes or half-hidden screws suddenly were fixed. The repairs were neat, clean and substantial, always labeled by hand with the inscription, “Gpo. Salvando Vidas Oaxaca.”

Whether you're new to Oaxaca or have lived here for years, you've almost certainly noticed, complained about, or perhaps even hurt yourself navigating the city's notoriously cracked, broken and obstacle-ridden streets and sidewalks. The sidewalks don't seem to be anyone's responsibility; clearly the city does not repair them, nor do individual homeowners or businesses. If you're like most of us, you've probably shrugged, decided that's just the way it is here, and learned to walk very carefully.

But evidently that was not the case with Gpo. Salvando Vidas, whoever they were. Our curiosity was piqued, although not enough for us to try to track them down until this year, when we came across yet another careful repair, but this time with a phone number added to the inscription.

One of more than 200 sidewalk repairs by Gpo. Salvando Vidas Oaxaca, A.C.

We called the number and spoke to a very pleasant-sounding Oaxacan man who told us that yes, he was the head of the group, and that he and his wife would be happy to meet with us to tell us about it. We arranged to meet for coffee a few days later.

It turns out that the life-and-limb-saving group is very much a family affair. The padre de familia, Manuel Chávez Núñez, told us that the idea came to him in March of 2014 when he saw a handicapped person fall because of a missing sewer-access cover. Watching the injured person being carried off in an ambulance, he decided that something needed to be done to protect other pedestrians. He talked it over with his family—his wife Ángeles San Juan and his children, Carolina, age 23 and Manuel, 20-- presenting the idea as something they could do together to help others. “We're a very close family—homebodies really,” says Manuel. So it came naturally to them to take this on as a family project. Covering the treacherous spot that had sent the handicapped person to the hospital turned out to be just the first of many such repairs—to date, 200 and counting. To say that they are Good Samaritans doesn't begin to do them justice.

“Once we started, we realized that there are many, many places that need to be repaired,” Manuel says. “We've become something like 'the street police,' always on patrol for obstacles that are dangerous for pedestrians.”

At first they kept a low profile, not sure of how the authorities would react. But eventually they spoke to the municipal government to see if they could get the city to take responsibility for needed repairs, or at least to make sure they would not get into trouble for the work they were doing.

“If the government told us to stop, we would,” says Manuel. “In theory, it's the responsibility of the city. But they made it clear to us that they didn't have the resources to do what we were doing. It would have been a problem if they had opposed it, but instead they said, 'go ahead.'”

Manuel and Ángeles are disappointed that the city government is not doing what it should, but they refuse to let it anger them. “We're not against the government,” says Manuel. “There's no value in being against someone or something. Instead we say that the government has given us, as citizens, the opportunity to take action.”

When it became clear that this was going to be a major, continuing project, and that people outside the family would at times be involved as volunteers, they decided to formalize the group as a Civil Association (Asociación Civil, or A.C.). Manuel showed us the thick sheaf of papers that defines the Association's rights and responsibilities. “We paid for the 'acta constitutiva,' so that we would have the legal right to take actions to benefit the community,” says Manuel.

The work they do isn't easy, or cheap. They donate their time and labor, as do the occasional volunteers, but they have to pay for the tools, lumber, concrete, rebar and other materials they use. As they have gained experience, they've taken on bigger and more challenging repairs. Reinforcing and re-cementing a three-foot long hole can easily cost $800 pesos. That's a substantial out-of-pocket expenditure for a family supported only by Manuel's work as a tailor.

“We started including our telephone number about six months ago in the hope that it would encourage people to contribute,” explains Manuel. “But we haven't received any donations so far.”

It's clear that donations or not, the group will continue to repair sidewalks all over Oaxaca with the goal of saving as many lives and limbs as they can. “Many people are indifferent, or just think that broken sidewalks and the accidents they cause are natural,” Manuel says. “But we think differently. We can't be indifferent or leave it to others. We made the decision that we would take action, and we have.”

“It comes from empathy,” adds Ángeles, “love for other people.”

Further information about the Gpo. Salvando Vidas Oaxaca A.C. can be found on their Facebook site:

https://www.facebook.com/GSVOAX/. You can see videos of them at work on YouTube (go to YouTube and search for “Gpo. Salvando Vidas Oaxaca.”) They would be happy to accept donations of labor, materials or money. If you would like to volunteer, contribute, or learn more, call Manuel at 951 328 6528.

Robert Adler and Jo Ann Wexler

Puede encontrar una tradicciónal españolde esta historia aquí.

"This home is the only home some of us have"--translation of news story about the attack on Oaxaca's Home for the Protection of Young Women

This is an English translation of a story by Yuri Sosa that appeared in the Oaxaca newspaper Las Noticias on November 29, 2016. It personalizes the impact of the illegal attempt by the State Government, apparently at the urging of the Church, to evict the Home for the Protection of Young Women of Oaxaca from the building it has occupied for more than 40 years:

For Marcela Santiago Antonio, the Home for the Protection of Young Women of Oaxaca (a Civil Association) means a better future.

The young woman, from San Pedro Jicayan, on Oaxaca's coast, came to the City of Oaxaca, the State capital, at the age of 18, with the goal of studying towards a professional career. Thanks to the support that this organization provided, she has achieved her goal and is now a college graduate with a license in Intercultural Education.

"The only thing I ask is that they don't throw us out of this space; for some of us it's the only way we have to go forward," pleads Ms. Santiago Antonio, a few hours after the Monday pre-dawn raid by elements of the State Police with the intent of evicting the residents and staff of the shelter, located in the Historic Center of Oaxaca.

Since the young women still do not know how this attempt to evict them will end, they remain barricaded in the building.

Through a window beyond which can be seen one of the young women's rooms, Marcela caled for the authorities to allow the center to remain open.

If she had remained in her village, she would have had to end her studies after high school, the highest level of education available there. But one day the village doctor, who had come from the Capital, told her about the Home for the Protection of Young Women in Oaxaca, where she could stay while attending the university, she explained, surrounded by her companions.

"This is a safe place, where you meet other people with the same goal, which is to better ourselves," she said. "Here we're not alone; we're part of a group."

Marcela said that one of the goals the young women share is to spread the word about the existence of the shelter in the communities they come from, so that other young women can have the same chance to better themselves.

She is eternally grateful to the director and staff of the Home since she, at the age of 26, can still live there and be provided with the necessities of life.

"If the Home were to close, I don't know what I would do, where I could go," she said. "The doctor who helped me died six years ago." As she spoke, her companions indicated with their expressions that they would be in the same desperate situation.

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You can read more about these events at the following URLs:

http://viva-oaxaca.blogspot.mx/2016/11/chronicle-of-illegal-and-failed.html

http://viva-oaxaca.blogspot.mx/2016/11/cronica-de-un-desalojo-ilegal-y-fallido.html

http://viva-oaxaca.blogspot.mx/2016/11/church-and-state-vs-vulnerable-young.html