I’m on a mission to let the world know more about our magical country but there is another reality that demonstrates that everything isn’t “peaches & cream” here and that I’m pretty sure the world is blind to it. I Hope this message crosses borders and helps exposing an inevitable reality our people are facing.
La Guajira is a Colombian state located on the Guajira Peninsula in the northeast region of the country, composing the Caribbean region and facing Venezuela in the furthest northern part of South America, with its capital city Riohacha. You can find beautiful landscapes and see where the dessert meets the ocean in Cabo de La Vela. No doubt about it that this is a heavenly place to get away and explore to disconnect yourself from the world.
Meanwhile is considered heaven for visitors, for the locals unfortunately is a living hell. This amazing state is the home to the Wayuu natives which populate the area and live off herding and farming. This state does not know what a drop of water falling from the sky is since more than three years ago, there are severe malnutrition problems, about 12-15 children have died this year so far due to the fact that this drought is killing all the animals and the land is not producing but this isn´t a recent problem, since last year around 40 children died and in 2014 around 50.
Besides being affected by nature’s climate changes there’s a total abandonment from the government. This area is rich in coal mines and the companies that exploit this area consume around 17 million liters of water daily! Just to spray the roads so the dust that the trucks create doesn´t affect the health of the workers and no one is doing anything about it. While this happens the community has access to only 0.7 liters per day and is not even potable water. It is ironical to believe that Colombia being one of the richest sources of water worldwide, we are having this social problematic that is killing the dreams and lives of our children!
Please help me set consciousness and awareness of this problem because our people and specially our children in La Guajira need the world’s help, it's not their fault having to experience this!
**Pictures taken from google images**
(www.elespectador.com) The picture speaks for itself!
(www.elheraldo.com)
(Next time you purchase a Wayuu handmade bag, remember how much you are contributing to this community!)
(They're Colombia, We're Colombia!)
(You don't find luxurious resorts, just simplicity of life!)
(Where the dessert meets the ocean!)
If you ever come this part of our world, enjoy it and appreciate it but don't forget about our people, our children, they need our help!