El Monton is a dump

01.10.2008

‘El Monton’ is a former garbage dump that people moved onto when they invaded the area from the mountains. Columbans are still there in 2008.

One of the great problems which Father Dermot Carthy and I encountered since we came to live in ‘El Monton’ in Peru is the shocking conditions in which many people live.

Certainly some people have been able to build fairly decent living quarters with bricks or adobes. But many still live in old huts made of plaited reeds or flattened bamboos. Sheets of this material are called ‘esteras.’ They are usually about 9 x 12 feet in size and cost 7/6. Wooden supports are necessary to make the huts; the sheets of esteras are attached to them. But wood is expensive here. A support of, say, 2 inches X 3 inches X 16ft costs about £1.

Building a hut is easy

One can make quite a comfortable hut from these materials by putting up a framework of wooden supports, firmly planted in the ground and nailed or tied together. Then the sheets of esteras are placed against them to form the walls and the roof and firmly attached to the supports by nails or pieces of strong wire. The sheets are rather like the material from which baskets are made, and are full of little slits. But since it does not rain here, except for a heavy dew, these are not really a problem. But if one wants, one can seal the whole thing by painting on the outside a thick layer of plaster of Paris.

Many people here cannot afford that kind of money.

This was a problem we felt we must tackle. Decent housing is one of the most essential items in the lives of human beings.  We were particularly concerned for widows and for abandoned mothers and their children.

Since I was in charge of the boys’ club of the parish, Father Dermot put me in charge of the “Housing Scheme” also. He hoped the boys would give me a hand and he was right, but it took some time to get them working.

The most difficult problem was money and we had none. I mentioned these problems to a number of my friends here in the city, and within a month I had accumulated the sum of about £60. Next I bought the following tools: a wheelbarrow, a pick, two shovels, two trowels, a level and a measuring tape. These cost me about £15.  Thus all was ready - except for the boys.

The reluctant workers

At our Saturday meeting I broached the subject - I could see there was no interest. I did not blame them; they were concerned about their football teams. The following Saturday I mentioned it again. One of the lads showed interest, so I promptly appointed him as president of the project.  On the following Saturday two or three showed signs of interest. We arranged to meet the next day, Sunday at 9:00am but no-one came.   On the fourth Saturday we made another date - this time only the president arrived.  But off we went, the two of us, with the wheelbarrow and tools to the site of the house. We were not long there when four others arrived.

A house for £6

Our first job was for a widow and her three small children. We demolished the old hut she and her family had lived in for the last number of years. Using two mud walls which were already standing, we staked-out a hut 16 x 16 feet. Then we put up the necessary wooden supports and firmly nailed them in place.  Next came the sheets of esteras; these we tied on with pieces of wire. Then three more sheets for the roof were attached to the crossbars. We got an old door for £2 and put it in the entrance. The door was the most difficult of all, it was my first time to hang a door.  I learned a thing or two that day.

On the next Sunday we completed the house. One of the walls of esteras was open to the wind, so we bought two bags of plaster of Paris and painted it thickly on the outside.  We also had to rearrange the door somewhat; it is quite safe now.  The complete “house” cost less than £6.

Another successful project for £1

Three weeks later the Social Assistant told me of another family who needed help. This consisted of three women, the grandmother, daughter and the granddaughter. The only working member of the family was the daughter and she earned 3/9 a day. They had a fairly good house made of adobe brick that the two older women themselves had built. It consisted of two rooms, a living room in front and a bedroom and kitchen rolled into one at the back. The front room was good but there was a broken support in the ceiling. If something was not done it would fall.

I asked for volunteers at the club meeting. All the members of the No.1 team promised to help. We had to start early because the team was to play a match on Sunday at 12:30 so we arranged to meet at 7:00am. Nine of the team arrived. When I had shown them the site and given them a few general ideas on how the job should be done, I left to say the 8:00 Mass in the church. I promised to return at about 9.00.

Work accomplished

At 9:15 I was at the door of the parish house on the way out when I saw all the boys returning. “What on earth has gone wrong now?”  I thought. I was soon informed they did not have to take off the roof as I had suggested. By merely taking out the support that was broken, they were able to replace it. Later I saw they had done an almost perfect job. The cost? Less than £1.

In itself the work is not much. But we hope it will have two effects: Firstly, it will demonstrate to the people that the Church is interested in them, not just spiritually, but also in their material comforts.

Secondly, for the first time in their lives the boys of the club are doing something for other people. They are really a good bunch of lads, but they have never been trained to think of anybody but themselves.

For the first time they are seeing, really seeing, the problems of their own district. They are seeing that many people need help, that it does not cost a lot to help the neighbour and that one can even enjoy it.

Fr Sean Morrissey
- Taken from The Far East February 1, 1964.

Read more from The Far East October, 2008