Mother Herlinda Neighborhood

“We achieved all of this ourselves, without the help of the government. Through bingo events, raffles, and the support of Fundación Madre Herlinda Moises, we raised the money to finance the electricity service.” Dolores Maza Pájaro proudly emphasizes this when she tells me about the expansion of the electrical network in the neighborhood. She is one of the five provisional representatives of the neighborhood who take care of the residents and their needs.

Self-initiative and solidarity have been the cornerstones of the neighborhood from the beginning. Some young people occupied a piece of land, joined forces, and showed solidarity with others – independent settlers became an entire community. Dolores Maza Pájaro has lived here for 12 years and experienced firsthand all the initial difficulties of 2007 and 2008. She and another 100 people challenged rejection and abandonment by the State and overcame their precarious situation through their own efforts. It quickly became clear: everyone was working together toward the same goal. Everyone was a person in need, but they were left to their own fate by municipal institutions, without any support. So why not fight together? The people organized themselves through citizen initiatives and with the support of Fundación Madre Herlinda Moises. The population began to see itself as a community, and with the Foundation’s social support, a land titling process was initiated.

Another action that highlights the residents’ solidarity work is the supply of electricity; a clear example that sometimes it is better to lead actions voluntarily and participatively with the community rather than waiting for government projects. The inhabitants organized raffles and bingo events in 2010, and with the support of the Foundation and the proceeds obtained, the installation of the electrical network for the entire community was financed.

A reference point for leadership actions in this community is Mrs. Maza Pájaro. Everyone can approach her, and she always listens to people: Whatever their situation or concern may be, people come knocking on my door. “Unfortunately, this task is becoming increasingly difficult.” The neighborhood has changed a lot since 2014: “Previously, we were better off,” she added. Barrio Madre Herlinda Moises has also been affected by displacement and Venezuelan migration – Colombia continues to be the country with the largest number of internally displaced people in the world, and our district has become, due to its industrial area, a stronghold for displaced people and immigrants. Today, an average of 247 people live in this sector of the district.

“There are many new people,” says Maza Pájaro, who explains that they do not have the same sense of belonging as the first inhabitants of the neighborhood, especially because they did not experience the land occupation, the beginnings of the neighborhood, or the subsequent legalization process; shared experiences and achievements that turned the residents of the neighborhood into a true community. With the arrival of new residents, this sense of community was lost, and therefore solidarity has less value today than it did before.

A part of the population earns its livelihood through agriculture or fishing. However, the majority live from daily labor. This means “getting up every morning, taking a backpack and a water thermos to look for work at the landfill,” collecting copper or iron bars. According to Mrs. Maza Pájaro, there are companies in the industrial area near Pasacaballos that could offer employment opportunities, but they do not want to hire them because there is not enough trained workforce, as many of the young people are seeking alternatives through juvenile delinquency to support their children. Facing daily threats of this kind, alcohol and drug consumption also unfortunately affect the security situation, with frequent robberies and thefts. The latter has become the most growing problem in recent years, especially among young people.

For many years, they fought without progress for the installation of the drinking water network. Finally, a ray of hope arrived in 2018: Barrio Madre Herlinda Moises received a legal water connection. There are still difficulties with the water supply, since it is not yet pumped to the household faucets; however, even if many people do not see it this way, we have taken a step forward toward the future and toward meeting basic sanitation needs. Once the remaining difficulties have been resolved, we will plan a demonstration: Water March! Until then, a truck will continue delivering water every 8 days to meet the needs of the residents. In addition, the construction of a sewage system is planned for the future. Another positive project is the installation of gas pipelines, which is currently underway; we still depend on gas cylinders, but this situation will soon come to an end.

Many projects have been carried out in Barrio Madre Herlinda Moises. Behind all this development are the hopes of its inhabitants, who have always remained united through solidarity and, despite setbacks, have never become discouraged. After being abandoned by the State for more than ten years, it seems that the neighborhood will finally receive the attention it deserves. First of all, the expansion of infrastructure means that people are finally being granted their rights. In addition, this progress also represents an opportunity to improve the neighborhood’s reputation. Several organizations support the inhabitants with projects for children, sponsorships, or companies that also help with house construction. Mrs. Maza Pájaro received materials, for example, and the Pasacaballos brick factory donated blocks. Of course, Fundación Madre Herlinda Moises must also be mentioned here, as it has supported the inhabitants since the beginning and continues in this struggle. An example is the school, whose vision for the future is to make education the fundamental tool to overcome poverty in our community.