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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.
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