La Chureca, The Garbage Dump Outside of Managua

Seven years ago, I visited La Chureca, the garbage dump outside of Managua, Nicaragua. There, I met a man of my own age (52 then) that had been working in garbage dumps since he was 12 years old - 40 years!! He looked 75... life had treated him so discourteously. He told me that he had lost the ability to dream. This simple statement was both incomprehensible and heartbreaking for me. It saddened me. I wondered what exactly had driven him to that dreamless state: was it the 40 years?… was it the horrendous stench of putrefaction?… was it the thousands of flies that force you to speak with clenched teeth?… was it the toxic smoke?… was it the rotting food that they often find and eat?… the hundreds of vultures?… the scavenging cows, pigs and goats?… was it the mountains of filth and refuse?… was it the sight of hundreds of people there doomed to the same fate?… was it the 13 year old girl that died there of chemical poisoning?… or the 6-week old infant that was crushed to death by a garbage truck?…

I thought of the scriptures… of the hell that Christ described as Gehenna, the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem. I thought of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Without a dream, the people will perish.” Yet, I am grateful for that encounter, as it made me realize that our real mission is not to provide the poor with food, water, homes, medicines, educational materials, jobs, or training. No, our job is to provide those who are feeling hopelessly defeated by poverty with the ability to dream again.
Three weeks ago, I returned to La Chureca, now chosen as one of the “Ten Horrors of the Modern World.” I had never seen so many people in all my visits there. The conditions were no better than what I described above. The anger and frustration of the crowd were almost palpable. We were advised by our contact there not to go far from our vehicle. I had never felt threatened there before. I barely stepped out of our vehicle when I was surrounded, in close proximity, by a number of the men who work there and a couple of the women. I felt embarrassed that my hands were so clean. I wanted to hide them in my pockets… their hands and their faces were covered with a black soot that would seem to defy the strongest detergent or scrub pad. Their eyes expressed an indescribable mix of emotions – hurt, resignation, pain, fatigue, suffering, distrust, rage, despair…

They said that they had received countless promises by government and non-profits, but all promises had proven to be empty. Thirty-three non-profits are supposedly working in La Chureca, and yet there has been no help for them. A spokesman for the group described that many news agencies would come and take pictures and videos with promises to tell their stories, only to betray their trust and write negatively of them. Many have been offered training with job placement at the end of the training. One man was trained as an electrician and when time came for job-placement he said, “They were brilliant in their absence.” No one would hire him and he had to return to the hell of La Chureca.

They explained that until 3 years ago they were doing a bit better. They were being paid 8.5 Cordobas (approx. 42 cents) per kilo of recyclable metals. Then, suddenly, about two years ago, the prices fell to 1.5 Cordobas (approx. 7 cents) per kilo. “If the prices of food and other goods went down also, it wouldn’t have been so devastating,” one worker said. I tried to explain how difficult it would be to distribute goods there at the dump, as there could easily be chaos and riot conditions. They said that they were willing to take numbers and stand patiently in line, and they even suggested that we get the Mayor to lend the services of his police force to keep the crowds in order.

I asked them what they most wanted us to do for them, expecting the answer to be money, or food, or some other material goods. Instead, they asked if I would speak to the Mayor on their behalf. They told me that the garbage truck drivers were making 4,000 Cordobas every two weeks (approx. $100 p/week) and they have great concern because these drivers were picking out for themselves all the best recyclable items as they emptied the garbage into the trucks. They complained that the drivers were robbing them of their livelihood. The workers at the dump are now making approx. US$2 per day – less than was the case 7 years ago!

At the end of our visit, we prayed together, asking God to bless and help these battered people. I left La Chureca having absorbed the anger and frustration of its inmates. I promised myself that I would not return to that place without a serious commitment to help relieve their misery. My heart and mind have been restless after that experience, but I am not unhappy with that restlessness, as I also promised myself that I would not rest until we found some way to help them. I will not forget that promise.