Niños esperando educación en el Amazonas
Traveling has always been a way to live new experiences, search for adventure(s), and ultimately discover new cultures that are entirely different from my own. Simultaneously & hopefully by the end of each journey, I could contribute with what's possible, to make people and their surroundings unfold for the better.
This story is not just dear to my heart, hence it has a profound learning experience, and an eye-opening event on an unusual/orthodox way of living that is taking place at the same time as mine back home. A story illustrated by my photographs, which are the fruit of a genuine human connection with one of the communities of Pacaya Samiria village on the shores of the mainstream of the Amazon," Río Ucayali."
It all began with an unexpected decision to fly to Iquitos from Cusco. That day itself was a unique experience. Soul mate Kalinka and I were expected by our friends Anna and Alberto, who we encountered while staying in Taquile island. If anyone would have told me before we make the decision, that we will have to take totally different means of transport all on the same day: from an airplane, a minivan, to a motorbike, ending with a 4 hours ride on a traditional boat throughout the Amazonian river, I wouldn't believe we will have the energy to accomplish such long & tiring voyage! Yet the excitement of discovering the unknown, especially if it's about the Amazon, will raise your adrenaline to the point of disregarding what is believably possible to handle.
Reaching the Buenos Aires community (Pacaya Samiria village) was a well-deserved victory. There's no better way to celebrate than sitting around the dinner table amongst the loved ones and the host family that was kind enough to prepare dinner for us upon our arrival. While enjoying the homemade naturally bio meal enlighted by the few candles on the table, we had long chats that made us come closer to the family from the first night. I can't thank enough, my dear friend Kalinka, who made the communication with the locals appear smooth & enjoyable.
I still remember, our conversations were sometimes interrupted or accompanied by the rich, weird, and diverse sounds of living creatures deep inside the wilderness. I perceived it as the first message that we are about to spend our first night in the Amazonian Jungle.
Eventually, the sleep started to seep in, confirming the exhausting day we went through. We got the sheets ready on the house's woody ground, fixed the mosquitos net, and we called it a night.
In contrast with the interrupting sounds of nature we slept on, the early morning brought a more social atmosphere. Waking up on the laughs and voices of many kids made us eager to take off the mosquitos net and join them in whatever they were doing. But before that, we needed to go to the river to brush our teeth and get our faces washed.
On that day, we were supposed to go on a long excursion along the Ucayali, deep inside the rain forest. Luckily we had a couple of hours free before the trip. I wandered in the village, get to know a bit more about the surroundings, and see the community's way of living. The first thing that strikes is that most houses are exposed: literally open space! No walls are covering the interiors. It's understandable looking to the hot and humid condition the locals are living in all year long. Still, somehow it gives it a feeling that the whole village is one big family, which bonds, even more, the community together.
Even though my first intention to visit the Amazon is to discover the wildlife of that part of the world, hence, the few hours I spent in the village already caught my attention, and now I'm more keen on spending more time with the locals.
Eventually, I had to join my friends in the boat to begin our first journey inside the Amazonian jungle. That first day left me blown away by the mesmerizing biodiversity of such a wild Jungle! Yet I was looking forward to go back to the Buenos Aires community. During the trip, my mind was quite busy thinking about all these kids playing on the vast fields of the green grass, and consequently, few questions started to pop up randomly inside my head: Are they going to school? If yes, where is that? What are the possibilities for them to have a higher education away from such a remote place?
The moment our boat touched the shore of the village, announcing the end of the first day. The children of the town received us straight away with a smile, very excited to know that they are going to fulfill their curiosity playing with all the gadgets we were carrying on us, including my Camera, which was perfect for gaining their trust.
In a place where games are branches of trees, stones, and any plastic container that they can find, our cameras, phones, Ipads, and Kalinka's ukulele were both magical and fascinating in the eyes of local children.
I was delighted that we had the chance to stay with the local families and share the food they habitually cook, Relax in the same hammock, sleep on the same floor, and experience the issues of their everyday lives.
It was the ideal conditions for me to uncover answers to all the questions I held in mind. Few conversations that evening were already enough to find out about the abandoned school a few meters away from the house we were staying at.
Sandra, 6 años
The school that is supposed to be the only bridge to explore the world for the children of the BA community wasn't unfortunately in reliable hands. Educators who are given the responsibility to sustain and take care of the school as their second home and consider it probably the only way thru to gain access to a better future for their country, were lacking courage or probably not aware of the impact of their sacrifices. They preferred instead to cheat and lie to their government, by not showing up at the school, under the false pretexts they give themselves: the problematic/harsh conditions in the forest, and the long way to get to the village, lack of logistics, etc..
Gagler 8 años
Etador, 11 años
Astrid, 9 años
Our guide confirmed the instructors come once a week to sign a paper, to prove that they were at the school the whole week, betraying thus forgotten children full of energy and hungry for knowledge.
Rosita, 8 años
Serge, 12 años
Oseas, 8 años
Gustein, 6 años
Areri, 6 años
Kati, 5 años
Kalinka and I had to visit one of the classrooms on our last day, to our surprise, the children were waiting and excited to show us the spot. I viewed it as a source of pride in how they turned the classroom to a distinctly covered playground for them when it's heavily raining outside.
Ultimately the day came to say goodbye to everyone in the family and freeze one last moment with the children, hoping that they will one day get back their school sound, functioning, and running!
The time I spent with the BA community was a contemplative one. I was looking back to the precious moments I had for myself, slowly swinging in the hammock.
Remembering the breathtaking view of our location, encircled us with what could almost be perceived as an infinite number of trees, the wild forest, the sound of nature & creatures, the laughs of children, and diligence of locals, a much more improbable and unimaginable yet soul-enriching life away from the material world I had left behind back home(s).
