Last semester, I was invited to participate in a protest against Coker International. I had never been to Nica, however, I’ve had many friends that had gone before me and helped to build walls and floors at the Gensis Co-op (a spinning co-op that has given Coker 150,000 for equipment that they’ve never received, to be to the point), so though I’d never met anyone in the project or seen it up close, I decided that participating was the only right thing to do. A great injustice had occurred and participating in the protests, I thought, was a good way to show support and turn up the heat. While we’ve been in Nica, we’ve had the opportunity to meet these amazing men and women. They come everyday to work and don’t receive pay. They still do not have the proper machines to do the work that they want to be doing. Just in case you didn’t catch it the first time, they work and don’t get paid. Not a cent. We had a session with them and though they were angry at Coker and tired of waiting, the feeling you got most from the co-op members was hope, love, faith, and gratefulness. One by one they continued to thank us for being apart of the protest and supporting them. They told us about the support, or lack there of, from their families as they work without pay everyday. And still, throughout the whole conversation, they weren’t cursing Americans, or gringos. They weren’t saying woe is me. They did tell us of their troubles, but the followed it up with telling us that they are still hopeful for the future of the co-op, as they follow other leads to machines. These women have touched my heart deeply. I think that besides the dump, I have been most effected by these people and their great hearts. I was so fortunate today to be able to work beside one of the women, Maria, as we leveled a walkway to prepare it for a sidewalk. I speak very little spanish. My conjugations are awful, however, Maria and I were able to communicate all day. I have told many of the other students that I was at the best site today. She had music playing on her phone and we danced and talked and worked. She has two sons and one wants to be a doctor. I admire these women greatly, and I have been blessed in getting to know and meet them all.
If you would like to know more about the Gensis Co-Op and what’s happening now, please visit the CDCA website http://www.jhc-cdca.org/ We will also be posting videos and other materials from our talk with Genesis and how you can help.
