Since its founding in 1971 by illegal land invasion, residents of Villa El Salvador, such as Jesús, have been extremely active in organizing to receive basic services from the government such as land titles, electricity, and, now, water and sewage systems. Some of these struggles take literally decades before the government will acquiece to their basic demands. Recently, Jesús and other community leaders were successful in pressuring the government to provide water and sewage systems to people in Lomo de Corvina, a section of Villa. The government, however, wanted to provide a system that was inadequate to the needs of the population, and a long struggle was mounted against the government in order to receive better water and sewage systems. What follows is an account (written by Jesús and translated by Nicole) of the struggle of the people of Lomo de Corvina, Villa El Salvador to increase the quality of life in their community.
Jesus Valencia , Presidente de CODIMUVES, acompañados de Pablo Dosh, Nicole Kligerman y Modesta Martinez en una visita de la zona de investigaciones en 2001 - foto James Lerager, Julio 2008.Jesus Valencia, president of CODIMUEV, along with Pablo Dosh, Nicole Kligerman, and Modesta Martinez (and Jesus's son Jean Pierre) during a visit to one of the neighborhood case studies where Pablo did his research in 2001. Photo by James Lerager, July 2008.
Villa Mar Upis, a community in Lomo de Corvina, Villa El Salvador. HISTORIA DE VILLA EL SALVADOR, LIMA, PERU
Villa el Salvador nace el 11 de Mayo de 1971 , en los arenales de un oasis , con su gente de imigrantes de las diversas regiones del Peru , fue a raiz de invasiones de terrenos que llegaron a obtener sus propias viviendas , fue una larga lucha desde sus inicios hasta lograr sus titulos de sus terrenos , agua y desague , luz electrica entre otros servicios.
Villa El Salvador durante sus anos ha logrado premios muy importantes por su organizacion de sus dirigentes y autoridades como el premio principe de asturias en Espana , logros como titulo de Ciudad Mensajera de la Paz , por las naciones unidas entre otros premios.
actualmente Villa El Salvador tiene 37 anos , ha seguido creciendo con su gente luchadora y su alto nivel de organizacion de hombres y mujeres que buscan un cambio de vidas , su protagonismo muy importante desde sus inicios es la impotancia de muchas organizaciones como la CUAVES , una organizacion muy fuerte en los anos 70 por su valiosa lucha e integracion de todos los dirigentes de ver la ciudad ahora mucho mejor , han cumlpido un rol importante como nuestra heroina Maria Elena Moyano , una mujer luchadora que nace desde sus bases de mujeres como la federecaion popular de mujeres como (organizacion FEPOMUVES ) para luego iniciar una etapa politica asumiendo cargo de autoridad y que por su valiosa lucha , sendero luminoso la mato por defender los interes del pueblo , Villa sigue creciendo en la actualidad en las zonas perifericas de Lomo de Corvina ( asentamientos humanos nuevos ), es un poquito de la historia para compartrir con ustedes .
A HISTORY OF VILLA EL SALVADOR, LIMA, PERU
Villa El Salvador was founded on May 11, 1971, in the sand dunes of southern Lima, by people from many parts of Peru who had immigrated to Lima. As a result of this land invasion, the inhabitants gained their own homes after a big fight in order to get their land titles, water, sewage, and electricity, among other things.
Throughout the years, Villa El Salvador has won important awards because of the work of its leaders, such as the Prince Asturias Prize in Spain as well as the title of Messenger City of Peace by the United Nations, among other prizes.
Today, Villa El Salvador has been in existence for 37 years and has continued to grow with its activist population and high levels of organization by men and women searching to improve their lives. Much of the important activism that has existed since the founding is due to the importance of its organizations, including CUAVES, a very strong organization which, during the 1970s, was active in greatly improving the city. This was accomplished by community leaders, such as our city's heroine Maria Elena Moyano, an activist that was a leader of the Grassroots Women's Federation (the organization FEPOMUVES) and later became politically active. Because of her brave activism, Shining Path (Maoist guerrillas/terrorists in Peru) killed her because of her work defending the people of Villa. Today, Villa keeps growing in its peripheral zones like Lomo de Corvina (with new informal settlements). This is a bit of a history to share with you all.
Jesus gesturing toward Lomo de Corvina. He is president of the the current project to bring water and drainage to the entire area, which is home to 54,000 people. He is also president of the neighborhood of La Encantada (2,000 families) and president of the Commission for Human Rights in Villa El Salvador (CODEHVES). LA LUCHA POR EL AGUA POTABLE Y ALCANTARILLADO EN LOMO DE CORVINA
Los asentamientos humanos que lucharon por obtener los servicios basicos en el sector de la organizacion social vecinal de Villa El Salvador , esta vez hablamos del trabajo muy fuerte de la organizacion en Lomo de Corvina , se trata del Consejo Directivo Multisectorial de Villa El Salvador - CODIMUVES , trabaja en tres sectores como el sector 7, 9 y 1o sector del Distrito de Villa el Salvador , esta organizacion trabaja por casi diez anos en la lucha continua por lograr el agua y desague en las zonas mas pobres de los barrios populares de Lima Metropolitana (Peru).
Inicialmente fueron 16 grupos o asentamientos humanos lucharon por obtener el servicios de largas movilizaciones al gobierno central , Sedapal empresa del agua , funcionarios del gobierno entre otros , en estas largas luchas el papel de la mujer fue muy importante que ha promovido la organizaciones , lo mas resaltante las ollas comunes en el campamento de lucha , desde los momentos mas dificiles que toco vivir en el gobierno del actual Presidente Dr. Alan Garcia Perez de querer imponermos un sistema de agua no adecuado a los terrenos de nuestras viviendas, debido a que no fue consultado por la poblacion beneficiaria del programa Nacional AGUA PARA TODOS .
THE STRUGGLE FOR A POTABLE WATER
AND SEWAGE SYSTEM IN LOMO DE CORVINA
AND SEWAGE SYSTEM IN LOMO DE CORVINA
Neighborhood organizations in Villa El Salvador are now working hard through an organization in Lomo de Corvina called the Consejo Directivo Multisectorial de Villa El Salvador (CODIMUVES- Jesus is the president). This organization has worked for close to 10 years in the struggle to get a water and sewage system put into the poorest areas of the shantytowns in Metropolitan Lima, Peru.
Initially, there were 16 groups or informal settlements which fought to receive these services from the central government, Sedapal (a public water company), and government officials, among others. Through these long struggles, women were key in promoting involved organizations, the most key being communal kitchens in the areas where the struggles were taking place. Some of the most difficult moments were when the government of current president Dr. Alan Garcia Perez want to impose on us a water system that was not adequate for our homes without consulting with the people who it would supposedly benefit through the national program "Water for All."
Construction for the new water and sewage systems.esta vez nos toco salir a las calles a protestar por el sistema condominial que a futuro nos traeria problemas en salud, contaminacion ambiental por el crecimiento poblacional a futuro y que las tierras son muy planas en la geografia de la naturaleza .
La lucha empieza tomando con fuerza el campamento como medida de protesta al gobierno y hacer escuchar la voz de los pobladores de Lomo de Corvina en Villa el Salvador , con respecto al agua y desague , esta lucha duro casi tres meses continuas en hacer vivencias en el campamento con apoyo de la gente que vigilaba la zona , para que la prensa tome en cuenta nuestra protesta y fue muy importante que los medios de comunicacion como TV, Radio y Prensa escrita nos tomo en cuenta en sus noticias del dia .
En realidad el proyecto beneficia a mas de 54 mil habitantes y el presupuesto financiado por el Gobierno a travez de Sedapal ( empresa de servicios de Agua ) y el Banco Mundial asciende a 58 millones de soles , se estima culminar las obras de agua y desague a fines del año 2008.
Because of this (the inadequate water system), we went to the streets to protest the "condominial" system, which would later bring health problems, environmental contamination because of an increasing population, and hardship on the land.
The struggle began by taking by force an encampment related to the project as a form of protest against the government and as a way of making them listen to the voice of the population in Lomo de Corvina, Villa El Salvador, with respect to our needs for water and sewage system. This fight lasted almost three continuous months as we made little living spaces in the encampment with the support of people who watched over the area. This was done so the press would take our protest into account; it was really important that the media (like TV, radio, and the press) write about our struggle in the daily news.
The water and sewer project benefits more than 54,000 people and the financial cost for the government, charged by Sedapal (the water company) and the World Bank, will cost upwards of 58 million soles ($20 million). It's estimated that the water and sewage project will be finished by the end of 2008.
Working on the construction of the water and sewage systems in Lomo de Corvina.
Jesus Valencia and Modesta Martinez, community leaders and activists, in front of the encampment where they lived for three months in order to get the Peruvian government to provide them with adequate water and sewage systems. Eventually, the government agreed to their demands. CONTINUAN LAS LUCHAS SOCIALES EN VILLA EL SALVADOR - PERU
Mayormente Villa E l Salvador se caracteriza por una diversidad de organizaciones y en esta oportunidad le hablamos de las mas reciente como es CODIMUVES , que ha dejado en claro que sin luchas no logra nada , pero el papel resaltante de la mujer fue lo mås importante en el tiempo de lucha , los dirigentes tienen un enfoque de desarrollo y tienen propuestas claras cuando se presentan a las autoridades para hacer cumplir sus promesas en campañas electorales , proyectos de inversion social , ahora su proxima lucha de la organizacion es obtener los titulos de propiedad en las zonas de Lomo de Corvina .
THE STRUGGLE WILL CONTINUE IN VILLA EL SALVADOR - PERU
Villa El Salvador is characterized by its diversity of organizations and, in this vein, I'll talk about the most recent organizations, CODIMUVES, that has made it clear that without struggle there cannot be any gains. Key in all of this is the outstanding involvement of women was the most important during moments of struggle, community leaders who have focused on development and have clear proposals with negotiating with authorities so these government officials follow through with the promises they make during electoral campaigns, and social investment projects. Now, the next fight will be to get land titles for everyone in Lomo de Corvina.
1 comment:
Peru looks like a wonderful place!
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