Where do you find hope
Tilaila Tanumi
Coming to Valparaiso after my first missionary experience in Santiago has been life-giving for me. It’s hard to grasp that I am now in my sixth year in Las Palmas, Valparaiso. I still have that feeling that I have only been here a day or two.
So many things have changed since I was at home in Fiji on holidays and since my return. As a lay missionary I am quite aware that it’s difficult to call a place where one works, home. If I look back I cannot recall how many apartments I have moved in and out of. While I am convinced that "home" is where the heart is, at the present moment "home" for me is in Las Palmas.
As I work on the hills of Placeres, I am still in awe of the impact of poverty in the area. I mean not only financially but also the emotional and spiritual emptiness that I can perceive in the area and in most of the people. The area is highly populated with a lot of social problems, and it’s challenging to be a part of these people’s lives.
Each group is defending and protecting its turf, homes, family members, local community area and their church. At times, it is difficult to come to terms with the high levels of unemployment, low self-esteem, widespread depression and rampant crime. Well, I wouldn’t blame them! Who wouldn’t be depressed in such squalid living conditions?
Children have no space to play since the apartments are so small and have to house, sometimes, two and three families. Such overcrowding creates its own dysfunctionality. As for children’s playgrounds - most of these are too small, lacking facilities and creativity and bear the hallmarks of overcrowding, vandalism and lack of maintenance.
It saddens me to see how these people are being treated, and how they, themselves, have lost hope that they could have a better future. One of the major problems is that the majority of the people have low self-esteem. This is where real accompaniment comes for a lay missionary.
I tried to organise women’s workshops for personal development. It began well on the first few weeks, but then it just faded out. I came to a few conclusions. Women aren’t interested in sharing about themselves. Secondly, there is more interest in knitting, fabric painting or some other practical activity. What free time they have would be used in taking a nap or watching TV.
However we have had yoga classes for three months which were quite successful and I am quite pleased with all the women who made the effort to commit themselves in attending the sessions. My gratitude to our yoga instructor Felipe Gutierrez , who had committed himself to coming every Thursday from Santiago for our classes at 4:00pm. Since we don’t have a meeting room in the community, we always had yoga in the chapel. It was funny when we had our first yoga class; most of the students were grandmothers and some retarded loved ones in our community.
There were few young women and many commented on why the sessions were being held in the chapel? Some felt it was not the right place to be conducting a yoga class. Anyway the yoga sessions were a success and the women who fully participated all shared how they enjoyed a session of relaxation in the busy activity of their day. All the women are keen in continue with the classes after Easter.
In early January our team started an art workshop on mosaics for the summer, with children, teenagers and young adults. Marcelo is our art teacher, and will be with us for two months. It’s inspiring to see the creativity that each child brings into the workshop.
Marcelo has been really great in taking up this commitment. It is excellent exercise for relaxation and therapy for our youths. They not only learn new techniques, but they have a space where they can express themselves in their art work. From this many adults are keen to learn the skill, and it’s amazing to see how children can encourage and entice their parents to come along.
I find it life-giving that a small number of this community respond. This makes all the efforts worth it. I am convinced that it sows a little hope and a seed for a better future in the lives of the participants. I am reminded of the famous words of the late Archbishop Oscar Romero:
"This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities."
