A week in the life of a 13-year-old student Venezuela during the pandemic

(Courtesy of Trazando Espacios Públicos)

Geisi writes about walking to fetch water every day and what she likes most (and least) about quarantine. 

Monday

Water doesn’t get up to my house because there are no pipes, so we went to look for water at Fe y Alegría School. It is half an hour from my house on foot. I went with my grandmother and my little brother, because it is close to where I live. Thank God! Before that we had to get it from far away. 

We left at 8 a.m. and arrived around 11 p.m. Here in my house we have my mom, dad and 6-year-old brother, my grandmother sometimes comes here and helps us. To have fun, I like to talk to my mom or my cousins who live upstairs. Also I like to play dominoes. What I like most about the quarantine is that I spend more time with my family although sometimes I get desperate because even though I am not that much of a street person, I don't like being locked up for so long. Also, many people are dying daily and it makes me feel desperate, because I put myself in their place and it is painful. We don't want to be in that situation.

Tuesday

I had to go get water in the same place as yesterday. I went in the morning with my little brother and my grandmother again. It's fun when you go there with the empty wheelbarrow and pots, but on the way back you feel like you're going to pass out halfway through. Today we went earlier because we didn't want to go down late because it's too crowded. I don't like it when the sun hits and takes away my energy.

We arrived at 12 p.m., a bit later than yesterday. I was looking after my grandmother's barrow and because we couldn't take many pots, we did two laps only. My mom stayed in the house because she needed to clean so I did her the favor of carrying water for her to clean. When I arrived, we ate and took a nap. I slept at once, even my mother, poor thing, she was tired too. I got up around 3 p.m. and now at 6 p.m. I'm going to help my dad carry water again, so I can fill the pot.

I couldn't do homework because I couldn't leave my mom alone carrying water, otherwise we wouldn't have a drop of water. 

(Courtesy of Trazando Espacios Públicos)

Wednesday

Last night I was carrying water until 2 a.m. with my dad, my mom, my little brother and the rest of my family. Today I also carried water but with my aunt, cousin and brother and helped my mom cook lunch. I haven't started my homework yet, I'll start tomorrow. My mom couldn't help me because she was cleaning and I was carrying water to clean, so she didn't sit with me. We wash our clothes when there is water and it makes me feel bad because I want to have our clothes clean all the time. In the afternoon I watched TV with my family, we only have public channels, in several places the CANTV [state-run telephone and internet provider] is down since the quarantine started, so I don't have internet or phone.

My mom is a warrior woman, she is very important to me. She gives us love and is always with us. If you do not have something, she gives it to you. She does not deny you anything. I couldn't live without her, I would lose my soul because I'm so attached to her.

My mother was the one who enrolled me in Trazando Espacios Públicos (TEP), an organization that helps children and adolescents by giving them materials for their future, advising them and guiding them towards the right path. At first I didn't want to go because I thought it was like a regular class, but it's not like that. They explain about how things work, how to make them, to value them, take pictures and make designs. For me it's like a workshop. TEP gives children the opportunity to be able to grow and have knowledge. Before I was very rebellious, I didn't want to do anything, now I feel independent because I know what I am doing and I don't wait for anyone.

In December 2018, two children were selected to receive a TEP certificate in El Hatillo for excellence and participation because we stood out in everything we did. I was in second place because I did my work, I was creative and paid attention to what they were doing. They would teach me and although, my projects didn’t turn out so well, I tried really hard. Thanks to TEP, we also went to Camp La Llanada in the state Portuguesa. We played there, and we saw many animals that I had never seen in my life. We bathed in a river. That was for a week. I had a lot of fun but I was very tired. I wouldn't change anything about TEP. I would love it to happen again after the pandemic, but I would like my friends to sign up. 

Thursday

I helped my mom wash clothes. Since we don't have a washing machine, she went to my aunt's to wash one load, but the other load we washed it by hand. We had already gone a month without washing. It all depends on when we have water. If only you could see it, now the house is full of clothes that need to dry. Today I also carried three pots of water and I went to Petare with my dad to buy things for the house. We also bought a bag of mango. That was my favorite part. This season is very good to eat pure mango. Petare is about an hour's walk away because I live in the state Barrio Unión.

(Courtesy of Tracing Public Spaces)

Friday

I visited my aunt, the one who lives uphill from my house. She's my dad's mom. I call her "aunt" as a nickname because I like talking to her because she always listens to me and gives me advice. My mom washed clothes and I helped her hang them out to dry. I also went down to buy a bag of mango with my little brother. I love mango so much!

Saturday

I went down the hill with my family, and we visited another aunt to see how she was doing and we spent some time with her. I took the opportunity to visit my friend Jessica, who lives right there. She is 14 years old and her brother studies with me. I stayed a while talking to her about her 15th birthday. I was giving her my support and advice, because she wants to make her party Christian-style, and although I have never been to one, I know that it is very nice because there is the presence of God and sharing together. But her family does not support her because they want it to be a party with dancing and alcohol. They are pressuring her to do it the way her parents want. But she doesn’t want that. I told her that this is her day and that the person who should feel special is her and not her family. So she is very afraid, she doesn't like to be pressured.

Sunday

I did some homework and was invited to an aunt's house because they were making meat soup. I like to share and spend a pleasant time with them. It’d been a while since we spent time together because they live far away, walking like half an hour, purely uphill.