Hard Day at Work?

I spent today in Saquisilí, where 72% of the population region is indiginous. I visited the health centre and had a meeting at the Council for Children and Adolescents. We talked about many of the factors affecting local people, including the fact that most children over ten are already working at least one hour every day, and in many cases full time.

The indiginous population is suspicious of state provided health services and people are often reluctant to attend conventional health centres and hospitals until illnesses have reached a very advanced stage.

This is a picture of a lady I interviewed in the market. Her name is Maria. She looks older than her 25 years and has worked on the land since she was a child, not having had the opportunity to go to secondary school. Her main objective is to give her children (she is expecting her second) the chance of education that she never had.

As in other parts of Ecuador there are significant economic problems in the region and a lack of resources. Forthcoming changes to school administrations are also going to mean that as it stands a large number of children will not be admitted to school in September 2010. This will further complicate the already fragile access to education, something which in Europe we pretty much take for granted.

I was made to feel very welcome wherever I went, partly due to the fact that I was accompanied by an excellent guide, Fernando, who works with the indiginous population in the region. After our meetings Fernando took me to the potato market in town where large sacks of potatoes were being sold for $5-$6.... a price which has come crashing down from $20 just a few years ago.

Its hard to imagine how demoralising this must be for those who live off what little they can make from the land. Both men and women were engaged in carrying sacks full of potatoes across the market on their backs. I have said several times how impressed I have been by the generally optimistic outlook of the Ecudorian people, but believe me, the people I saw at the market today were not having fun.

I am planning to put one of these pictures on the wall in my office in Helsinki. Next time I am having a "bad day" at work it might make me think again. I will be happy to provide a copy to anyone who would like one!