Maudelia del Socorro Pichardo Dormuz - EEP Paper Workshop Student

Maudelia is a young Earth Education Project Pachamama workshop participant. Maudelia, 22 used to live in a neighbourhood of Managua called New Life. She would travel in the early mornings to go and work in La Chureca collecting waste materials and then selling the collected materials to support her family.
“Churequeando” as Maurelia calls it, she met her partner Elvis Villareyna, they decided to start a life together and raise a family, so they built a house from discarded tin cans fund on the dump, where they have lived for the last 6 years; a little family with 2 children. Lisseth is 2 years old and Elvis was born 35 days ago.

Before having her second child Maudelia still worked on the dump, leaving her daughter with a neighbuor so she could help her husband with the cost of running the home. When she found out she was pregnant she stopped going to work and devoted herself to caring for their children. She explains how this is difficult for her as it means only her husband is working. Maudelia says that sometimes their economic situation is extremely hard because her husband earns C$ 40córdobas the equivalent to U$ 1.85 a day after spending hours scavenging for materials in the beating sun up on La Chureca. “We can only buy milk for the two children and sometimes we [me husband and I] eat and sometimes we don’t. We must ensure the baby has enough food.” says Maudelia.

“I am participating in the Pachamama Workshop at the centre just down the lane, Juntos Contigo. The workshop provides me with an opportunity to learn. I know I will be able to recycle paper, make cards and work with recycled materials. I had no idea of all the things you can do with rubbish. They also teach me to read because I left school after the 2nd grade. I know how to read a little but not that well. Here they teach me and they also help me with my writing so my handwriting looks more beautiful. This will be very useful to me for the rest of my life. Every month they give me a packet of food for my daily participation in the workshop.

“The best thing is that they accept me with my children because at other organizations they close the door in your face if you turn up with children. This is what makes this programme special. I feel confident and at home there, I can ask questions if I don’t understand anything in the workshop. I try to involve myself and participate in all parts of the workshop.

“I know in the future that everything will be better for me. This project has supported me in my most difficult moments. Ever since I signed up to the workshop I felt good as they treat me so well.

“When I had my son, he had to go back to hospital a few weeks after he was born. They kept him under observation for 8 days. They told me he had pneumonia. I thought it was because my house is so humid. It’s all made of zinc so when it rains everything gets wet. Only where the bed is it doesn’t get wet. And it seems that this is what hurt my baby.

“I feel thankful though because this project helped me financially and emotionally visiting me in the hospital and helping me with what I needed in my moment of sadness.

“I feel at home in La Chureca because at least I have a roof to protect myself and my children.
“My dream is to have my own beautiful house. The Spanish Government and the Managua Mayor have promised us houses for the last two years. I have almost lost hope now because they are more interested in the construction of the recycling plant than building us places to live, which is what we need to give our children a better quality of life.”

READ ON FOR MORE OF THE WOMEN'S STORIES.
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