Father, I will keep this brief, as I do not have with me, the materials to draw from, for a detailed explanation. However, this is the basics.
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My project of making and delivering 308 sails over the past 6 years, for their dug out canoes (ulus) has allowed me to get to know them much better.
Primitive.
.............There is no potable water on these islands. All water for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry must come from the mainland. Collecting it in jugs, carried in their ulus from the mainland to their home on the islands, or...hopefully at least for a time, procuring it from this oft broken system of an old government pipeline, has and is their only means of survival.
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The Guna's are a primitive tribe, one of a half dozen in Panama. They have been living for the past 200 years, mostly on coastal islands near to the Caribbean mainland of the country, between the Panama Canal and Columbia. 360 islands of which about 50 are somewhat populated with 30-50,000 Gunas. On a map, the area is denoted as Kuna Yala, which means Kuna Land. Western culture often refers to it as the San Blas islands, named by the Spanish for St. Blas.
I
told Alberto, that I would come to Panama, and do my best to discern
the water problem and if possible, fix the pipeline. This was a promise
based on faith. I knew I had basic talents that could be applied but
had no idea really of how the system was built or the problems it might
be having. I only knew I would keep my promise and to try.
Without the water from the pipeline, 'this' was the best quality water they have access to.
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From
living with them I also saw the problems with lack of medical
attention, poor food supply/lack of good nutrition, so I spent time in
the fall attending workshops in Ft. Myers, Fl and an international
conference in Managua, Nicaragua to better understand food production
methods for small scale family farming.
Justino's son was taught the little I knew of how to plant seeds and then how to care for them. His school teacher is now involved also, using these seedlings to teach the children in their school, the principles required to nurture the new plants.
New seedlings 5 days later. The eight types of seeds were donated by Echo Global Farms, in Ft. Myers, Florida. These 8 plant types, were chosen by their staff, from varieties from around the world.as the most nutritious plants also known to grow well in the tropics. It helps too, that these plant varieties are easy to grow.
My hope was to attempt to
assist the Guna men produce a larger volume and variety of food.
A meal, presented to me as an honored guest, is not typical for a Guna. Exceptional in quantity and variety and never even to be considered available for a daily meal for a resident. Consider this the 'best' you could hope for...on a daily basis. Day after day after day the same. Many nutrients missing.
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In
January I flew down to Panama City, Panama, arranged to acquire what I
needed. Tools, plumbing parts, food for myself and 22 water filter
kit's built by Sawyer inc. My hope was to also be able to begin using water
filter kits, to clean up the river water once delivered.
I purchased 22 Sawyer SP 181 filter kits and 25 new buckets to begin cleaning the river water once available. I made a template and sprayed Diregua onto the buckets. It's the phrase for "clean water" in the Guna language.
Once
over the mountains to the Caribbean side of the country and out to their
islands, I made three trips back to the shore, up a river and into the
mountainous jungle.
Numerous breaks in the water line, small and large were found up in the jungle. Most breaks were underground.
Following the pipeline in and up to it's source,
was a hike of about 15-17 miles round trip. Several Indians accompanied
me, carrying parts and tools.
Main sections were flushed by operating different pre-existing valves.
Steep ravines and streams, required the pipeline to be suspended by cables.
8 streams to be crossed and several slippery rock faced areas like this one and water falls, had to be climbed to gain access to the uppermost pipeline intakes. I took a bad fall on one of these...but was very lucky!
Cistern covering one intake needed to be cleaned of leaves and other debris. I dove in and cleaned the system, to show the Indians what was necessary. They are OK doing it themselves now.
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Long story however, that even had me requiring hospitalization for infections from severe insect bites, but in the end, we now have water to the first 2 of 8 islands.
The water is shared now, with the last 6, as the population arrives in their ulus with Gerry jugs, buckets, oil cans/whatever can hold water/often 70-100 gallons per ulu.
The line for water, at the shoreline valved system I installed, begins before sunrise and ends after darkness, sometimes 5-6 ulus in line. However, it is a success for now. Thousands of islanders are getting at least, water direct from a mountain river; thousands.
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It was difficult to
convince them of the value of filtering that water, but some families with
babies, very young children or elders in their hut's, did understand.
You see, the mortality rate for both young and old, is high. Because of poor nutrition and
water problems only 6.2 children out of 10 live past the age of 5. Yes,
almost 4 of 10 children die because of food or water problems.
OK,
for now, as at least some water, questionable water, is getting to them.
In my discussions with Alberto, I touched on other problems to see if
they were aware of them. Zika? yes, they heard of it and it was severe
there a year ago. Rising water levels? yes ( I was surprised they know)
they are already making some plans to move entire populations of each
island off and back to the mainland. However, they are very
disorganized in this. The elders appear to be exasperated and know they
will not live long and the problem with be up to younger men...men who
are not yet in control, but should be. Father, this is a crisis in the
making, a slow motion disaster.
I stayed a month but once
back in the states, I began searching for information again. This time,
beyond food and water, but moving an entire population, something that
is occurring in the Pacific Islands but not yet in our hemisphere. Or,
so I thought! I found a 143 page summary of a UN report date 2010,
that stated they were aware of the problem for the Guna people and the
Panamanian government, an International banking group dedicated to this
kind of crisis and....the Catholic church....had agreed to unify to
address the problem. From what I read, money from the banking system
was put into a Panamanian govt. acct. to begin building villages,
schools, hospitals for the first individual community to move it's
population to the mainland. (nearly 50 islands are inhabited). Some Gunas who
have moved off to Panama City wish to return to these new communities
to regroup with their families if and when this relocation occurs. However the
money put aside, has disappeared.. yes, more than likely, corruption.
The
catholic church? I cannot find any info. Who can I speak to? Who can
be a contact person with interest and the strength to persist? I have
tried to contact the pastor of the main catholic church in Panama City, the National Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
with no response. I tried also both Grand Knights of the 2 Knights of Columbus councils in
the city with no results.
These islands are not much more than sand bars over old reefs and generally within a few miles of the shoreline and it's rivers.
Statistically, less than 2 of these 3 children will live past 5 years of age, mostly due to poor nutrition and poor water. Which ones do you think............or, can a difference be made?
Help me get MAD. that is: to Make A Difference.
.............Comments? Please do. You can Subscribe also, (over on the right) to follow whatever develops. Thanks.
