Tuesday, October 27, 2009

And we arrived to Cochabamba!!!

Cochabamba: MUCOV´S Moments in the Sun Once we got off the short 8 hour bus ride we immediately noticed the difference between La Paz and Cochabamba. The air was clearer and warmer; the hustle and bustle of cars and buses seemed less congested, as if the city had a time of its own in which it moved at a more leisurely pace. We were happy at the chance to take our long worn out shoes off and put on our summer sandals, the sun felt great and we felt as if the city welcomed us with its slowly opening arms. The first things we did (as usual) was to check out the local central market of San Antonio. We found it as colorful, loud and full of our favorite snacks as all of the other central markets and the heat allowed us the sweet pleasure of a juicy watermelon and fresh cold grapefruit juice.
As it happens with so many of our MUCOV experiences, the reason for which we arrived into Cochabamba was also a combination of randomness and destiny: In La Paz we were invited to participate in a Community Feminism Workshop, in which we met some womyn working in NGO´s that support and work for/with womyn in various indigenous communities in Bolivia. One of these womyn was Sara Paez, who in her interest and enthusiasm for our work and our travel invited us to visit her in the city of Cochabamba. In addition, we were reminded that our young film maker friend Ariel, whom we met back in San Francisco, was originally from Cochabamba. He immediately wrote to us that we were welcome to stay in his house and passed on to us his brother Pavel´s information. So with two lovely invitations pending, we decided to keep exploring Bolivia.
The time we passed at Pavel´s house can only be described as the most restful and peaceful one we had in our trip so far. Pavel and his loyal pets, Chocolate, the sweetest most communicative and affectionate dog in all of Cocha, and Lea, a little white trouble maker kitty cat, welcomed us into their home. With Pavel and his girlfriend Vivi we had long and thoughtful conversations about life, family and politics, city tours and movie nights. It was exactly the kind of rest our bodies and minds needed at that time in our trip.
The ALBA Summit Another reason that motivated us to visit Cochabamba and caught our attention was an important event in South America´s political venue. We were to be in Cochabamba at the same time in which the 7th ALBA Summit was to take place. The Summit of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas was created in December of 2004 under the initiative of Venezuela and Cuba in order to counter the North American (U.S- led) Free Trade Agreements (NAFTA) and to strengthen the alliance amongst the different countries of Latin America. On its seventh gathering, the representatives and leaders of social movements from 40 different countries were to discuss various issues of common interest; the summit´s main purpose this year was to approve the creation of a single system of regional monetary currency called SUCRE, an idea that was proposed by Venezuela´s president Hugo Chavez in 2008 in an attempt to reduce the dependence of world economy on the U.S dollar and create an alternative trade exchange. Other topics in the agenda included procedures and regulations to protect Mother Earth, plans of action to reject and denounce the De-facto government of Honduras, the danger and responses to the expansion of U.S military bases in the Americas, and the creation of an alternative international court for monetary disputes to the one created by the World Bank.
When we made our way to the stadium in which the last day of the summit was to take place, we were excited for the opportunity to capture this significant event with our dear cameras. But what we did not know was that a number of surprises were just waiting for us around the corner: our dissatisfaction with the spot we found to film in which the stage was barely discerned, surrounded by the waiting crowds of peasants, students, mine workers, union-organizers, and city folks drove us to try and make our way into the center of the event. Because of our lack of credentials and despite our best efforts, we could not get through since the center spot was reserved for delegations of various social movement and VIP Press. But because MUCOV is stubborn and persistent, we went for Plan B. We asked a man walking in our direction with what seemed like credentials if he would be kind enough to help us get through security.
The man said that we would give it a try; as we were walking to the gate, a side gate opened and a man with a white doctor´s coat appeared next to a silent ambulance. ¨Oh you are here to film? You are press than? ¨Come in! ¨he said! He led us through the entrance into the grassy lawn in which hundreds of colorfully dressed man and womyn were standing in a huge square holding the Bolivian flag. The next thing we knew, he lead us close to the main entrance in which guards wearing various uniforms stood, and in which the music could be heard at higher decibels. The other man that lead us in, who we later found out was also a doctor, left and our guide said: ¨So I would really like you to make a video for us to represent the hospital, I want you to film all of the representatives coming through this gate and then the crowds cheering and our ambulance too.¨ We were awe struck! from one moment to the next, we were standing in the middle of the stadium, with dozens of other people from the press holding big and impressive looking cameras and with anticipation written in their eyes. ¨How did we get here¨? We asked each other with incredulous smiles.
But there was no time to talk because soon, a wave of excitement could be felt through the crowds: the presidents were about to come through the gate and go on the stage! And MUCOV was right there; ready to witness it all. The music went up a few notches and the crowd cheered! As Evo Morales, the current Bolivian president walked through, Daniel Ortega, the Cuban Vice-President ,and representatives of Ecuador, Honduras, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda and at the end Venezuela´s president Hugo Chavez. MUCOV got front row spots and recorded the president´s and head of countries powerful speeches, their gestures, words and overall presence, the colorful crowd, numbered in the thousands cheering and the different organizations and their leaders. The best part was to see the crowd, the live music from various countries playing in the background, and the flags of different Latin-American nations waving with pride and hope.
And here are some of the wonderful womyn MUCOV has met in Cochabamba: Ana: A petite young womyn with a protruding belly (she is in the nine month of her second pregnancy) a wide smile, a contagious laughter and a range of theatrical gestures and facial expressions that immediately puts one in a cheerful mood. Ana shared with us Herstory as if she was acting up in a play. In fact, that is quite normal for her, since she has been working in a street theater for the last few years and is currently giving drama and acting lessons for children. Ana was born in Colombia but immigrated to Bolivia at a young age with her parents, a nomadic doctor and a build-anything-possible kinda engineer. She recalled the years she spent in the countryside with indigenous communities and how she learned to speak Quechua (which she even spoke in her sleep!) and to appreciate mother earth and its animals, which she loved and took care of often. She told us of the depression she suffered through her adolescence, of the sexual harassment her music teacher put her through and her difficulty in making close friends she could trust. To the shock of her family, she accidentally got pregnant at the age of 19 but gave birth to a beautiful little girl who she says is the love of her life. Under pressure from her family, she married the father of her child but then realized that it was she who had the strength to really take care of her daughter and support herself and decided to get divorced. And now, she is pregnant again, with a whole different story to this pregnancy…
The Feminist Assembly: Karina, Leny and Rose: We met a wonderful group of womyn that are part of the National Feminist Assembly. They shared with us what feminism was for each one of them, how they became part of the assembly, the challenges, the stigma, and about the goals they have for the future. From being dubbed as anti-male lesbians, to radical and liberal womyn, they have continued to show in action what political life choices they take on and what are the convictions that determine the path they are creating. They support the organizational strategy to organize under what is known as Community Feminism, which is a movement that has Julieta Paredes at the forefront. Their vision feminism is rooted in community organization, in which womyn and men respect the different experiences they have and work together in a way that does not support, but instead, opposes the patriarchical system that is inherent in society. These feminist spoke about the particular cultural markers within the Bolivian culture that they confront daily and explained that their feminism is particular to their experience and their reality. It was an enriching conversation and it was immediately noticeable that critical thought and direct action go hand in hand with the way of life these feminist are creating.
Sonia: Once a dentist by profession, Sonia, a pleasant womyn with a clear and strong voice, found her real purpose in supporting the rights and lives of womyn in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Sonia is the head of a pro-life organization that offers social and psychological assistance to womyn who have been through the experience of an abortion or who want information and support relating to the subject. She told us that her desire and conviction to help these womyn comes from her catholic background which also provides her with a deep spiritual understanding of what these womyn go through and what is needed to guide them. She shared with us that she believes that the common denominator connecting womyn worldwide is the lack of self esteem, but that all womyn are capable of making the decisions that are right for them and their families. We thank Sonia for doing what she believes is her calling and for supporting the womyn of Bolivia.
Susana: is a petite Quechua womyn wearing a wide smile and her traditional Quechua skirt and shawl, whose words and ideas awaken in one a deep respect. She shared with us of her passionate and long fight for the rights of her people, the indigenous Aymara and Quechua of Bolivia. Susana is a social communications activist and has worked in various radio stations and utilized her voice to promote the rights the indigenous people of Bolivia have to their land. She is a strong supporter of current Bolivia president Evo Morales and believes that he has brought about many positive changes for her people and her country. Because of her commitment to her work and her diplomacy skills, she was chosen by her community to be a political representative in the regional assembly of Cochabamba. She says that she knows she has lived discrimination in her own skin, racism in her own face and that she has learned to understand how to demand her rights and the respect that she deserves with dignity. She knows that she has gotten far in her activism but believes that the road is long and that there are still many more things to accomplish, for all of us.
Sara: Sara has welcomed us into her home on our last few days in Cochabamba with such openness and affection we felt right at home in her spacious house and with her dog Jack, the most hyperactive animal alive. Besides being a gracious hostess, Sara is a dedicated and committed manager at the NGO where she works to support womyn in various indigenous communities around Cochabamba. She takes her job seriously but has an easy going and upbeat attitude towards life and what it has to offer her. She shared with us of her past as a traveler through Europe and of adventures that to this day she does not regret experiencing, and of her dreams of saving money and continuing on her travels throughout the world. Sara has given us the perfect goodbye present: a good wine with good friends and wonderful conversations. Thank you Sara, for your loving words, and Blessings!
Thank you Cochabamba for your peace, tranquility and Herstories!
P.S. Obama´s Nobel Peace Prize: Malinche is really confused by this global recognition granted to Obama after such a short time in office. “What came first the chicken or the egg?” she asks. “Being granted a N.P.P is supposed to be exceptional, demonstrating the important actions and accomplishments taken by individuals in situations of all contexts that remarkably stand out. By default, Obama has the task of doing some deep house cleaning after the Bush torpedo affected nations world-wide, which is not easy, but it is also not exceptional, it´s simply called responsibility. Anyone in office post-bush had to change the situation of economic crisis, end the wars abroad, stop the violation of civil liberties, and clean up everything that translates as foreign policies in "efforts to maintain our national security". But, Obama got the prize and we still have not seen big results, yet it is also quite early--let´s be rational here. In any case, he made many promises during his campaign, and it is up to everyone to remind him of the Change he promoted! There are so many individuals that have literally achieved big changes, great actions humbly made possible thanks to their convictions of justice and freedom that do not necesarily have official titles to their names. But now that Obama has already won it, he must be reminded that now he has to earn it…The world works in a backwards mode too often”, continues Malinche with a sardonic tone to her voice. But that was just a momentary lapse, as she all of a sudden exclaimed, “If an egg can´t lay a chicken, how can a Nobel Peace Prize lay a President…or vice-versa…ohh these philosophical questions get too scrambled with my politics!

Monday, October 5, 2009

UNDIES, WIND and SISTERHOOD (Version en Español Abajo)

WELCOME TO BOLIVIA MUCOV!

During the last four months of traveling MUCOV had not had this sort of welcoming. What we are about to tell you is based on real events:

It was 7:00 pm and we had just returned from a very long walk through the Island of the Sun; our stomachs were empty and we were looking for a moderately cheap and comfortable hostel, one with a common kitchen we could utilize. After a search of about 6 overly pricey hostels in the center of Copacabana (the first city we entered in Bolivia) we walked through the central plaza passing through the ladies who encircle the cathedral selling candles. We arrived at the doorstep of ¨Hostel Florencia¨ as a last resort and hope of finding a good place to rest our bodies and minds in. The moment we walked into the hostel, we were greeted by Mery’s (the owner) wide smile, her dog Cachito and two other womyn: Vanessa and Maria.

We immediately went to unload our bags on the third floor (that had a beautiful view to the Titicaca Lake and the nearby cathedral) and went back down to the second floor kitchen to cook. From the kitchen we could hear the laughter of a number of womyn and the steady beat of salsa and cumbia playing in the background. Behind giggles and drumbeats we could hear the womyn asking Omar, a Cuban friend of theirs about dance steps and rhythms they could learn. While we were hungrily waiting for our pasta to boil, Vanesa, who lives at the hostel and assists Mery in its daily functions, came in and asked:

¨Would you two like to practice with us tonight? We are rehearsing the Colombian folkloric dance ¨La Pollera Colorada¨ (the Red traditional Skirt) and we are going to perform it tomorrow.¨

¨Sure…it would be fun to see them rehearse and maybe learn a few moves, ¨ we thought. Around 9:00 pm, we found ourselves in Mery’s living room with Daysi, Maria, Nata, Vanesa and Omar and we started rehearsing with them. Two hours later, after much laughter, silliness and uncoordinated dance steps, we decided that it was time call it a night. ¨I can’t do it anymore, ¨ said Mery with a long sigh.

The womyn had not finished learning all the necessary steps, nor had they figured out how to fill the 45 non-choreographed seconds remaining until the end of the song; but everyone felt proud of their graceful hips and dance moves, with the confidence that on the following day they would dance in public in the most coordinated and beautiful way imagined.

The surprise came almost at midnight, when Mery (who besides being the hostel owner also had a contagious joy to her) asked Mayra: ¨And why don’t you dance with us tomorrow? You have already rehearsed with us and we need one more dancer! Here, we even have an extra shirt and skirt for you! ¨

¨The thing is that we are leaving to La PAZ tomorrow and I don’t think I will have the time to do it, ¨ said Mayra with a surprised tone to her voice.

¨Stay another day, we will have so much fun! Please girls! ¨ And with these words, we accepted her offer.

Sunday of wind and underwear

The presentation was planned for 3 o’clock, yet at 2:39 they were still not ready. Some had only their skirts on and others were trying to place the decorative rose in their head while shouting: ¨I need a hair pin! ¨ The rest were not even there yet.

¨It doesn’t matter, ¨ they said, ¨The presentation has to wait for us because we are the main act! ¨

Mayra could not believe that there were only 30 minutes left for the show to start, that they were not ready and that the best/worst part was that they haven’t even agreed on what the last steps should be!

At 3:45 PM.

In the end, everyone had their flowers in their hair and their smiles that helped neutralize any nervousness or stage fright they could feel, and together we all left to the Copacabana Marine Base where the performance was to take place. Upon arrival, we were told that the other dance performances had already taken place and that it was too late for them to dance! ¨What! But we are the final performance, the best number; we will be ready in five minutes, prepare the music and please tell us where the stage is! ¨ They all exclaimed with pride and determination that the show must go on.

At 3:55 PM

As the Colombian music starts, the womyn come out with their long red skirts, flowers in their hair and their smiles the size of Lake Titicaca…The first minute everything is in order: the womyn, their hands holding the edges of their skirts, their hips swaying to the rhythm of the drums, and they are all moving in an almost perfect coordination. The next minute the womyn are still wearing their bright smiles, they continue their synchronized movements, their skirts coming up gracefully as they turn, their hands moving in a semi-circular motion and their shoulders rotating from side to side when suddenly a strong gust of traitorous wind picks up…

The third minute is a blur, as the unexpected gust shamelessly raised the womyn´s skirts (which refused to obey the hands and fingers that commanded them to stay in place). Between the laughter and surprise that ensued, it seemed that some of the womyn blushed furiously, others laughed, others tried to cover themselves to prevent the audience from seeing more than what they were meant to see! And all of this while still continuing to dance with mortified looks of: I-CANT-BELIEVE-THIS-IS-HAPENNING! The audience kept their eyes on the dancers and witnessed in an almost hypnotic way how the womyn kept fighting against the wind and any sense of shame—nothing was going to stop them! In real time, the incident only occurred for a couple of minutes, but it seemed like an eternity for the dancers, who were resigned to the reality of showing their legs and underclothes in public without prior warning.

AT 3:59 PM

Walking as fast as they could without actually running, the girls went back into the dressing room mumbling to each other: ¨I can´t believe we showed everything! ¨ And others: ¨What a shame! ¨ and Mayra: ¨I never imagined that I would stay in Copacabana to show my underwear to everyone in public! ¨

But it was all worth it. This experience bonded us and we enjoyed spending four more fabulous days with these womyn while waiting for the transportation strike that started the day before to end.

The way we have all created a family of womyn in the next few days was an incredible experience: we ate together, danced in the living room and in the kitchen, yelled our love to each other and cried when the time for saying goodbye drew near. With a cake and a delicious-lick-your-fingers lunch and with our hearts nearly spilling over with gratitude, we finally said goodbye to the beautiful city of Copacabana and to the womyn that danced ¨La Pollera Colorada.¨

And here is a summary of the Womyn MUCOV met:

Mery: What a beautiful womyn! An altruistic person and womyn´s rights advocate who also promotes the preservation of our environment. With her loud laugh and evident friendliness, Mery demands and deserves the respect of everyone around her. In addition, as one of her hobbies (she does everything for fun) she organizes a group of youngsters to promote community building, and is a godmother to some of the young womyn of Copacabana who adore her.

Vanesa: A happy young womyn with a capacity to love and assist both friends and strangers alike. Vanesa, who dreams of traveling to and exploring other countries, is waiting to complete her goals in Copacabana to be able to make her dreams of traveling and of creative art projects come true. A student, artist, dancer and a goddaughter of Mery, Vanesa shared with us her dreams, sorrows and happiness. She also taught us that sisterhood can be as instant as a Ramen Noodle soup.

Maria: Is a womyn who dances with solitude and who awakens in one the desire to join her on one of her spontaneous dancing debuts along the hostel´s long corridors. No one knows exactly how she arrived in Copacabana from the de facto capital city of La Paz, given that Maria lived on the streets for many years. We know that Maria survived in the midst of urban neighborhoods and all kinds of street corners, seeking ways to continue with her life after her husband kicked her out of her house and ran away with her four children. Maria told us that she has suffered from severe violations of all kinds before and during her life in the streets. It was in Copacabana where she found a new home in Mery’s hostel. ¨This womyn has been reborn, she is another person and now we do not speak of the past and focus only of the present, ¨ says Mery as she looks at Maria with sincere affection. Currently, Maria works at the hostel as she laughs out loud, dances, jokes around and sings, while she continues to heal from the violations that her body and mind suffered for so long.

Our gratitude to tall the womyn who shared HERSTORIES…and

Hugs for the dancers of ¨La Pollera Colorada¨! Nata, Deysi, Vane and Mery!!!

P.S. Copacabana is the doorway to the grandeur of the city of La Paz (The Peace) and we will update you on this Later

Thursday, October 1, 2009

BIENVENIDAS A BOLIVIA (english above)

Copacabana de Risas y Calzones!
Creemos que MUCOV no había tenido una bienvenida de esta forma en los últimos cuatro meses de viaje. Esto es basado en hechos de la vida real: Eran las 19:00, habíamos regresado de caminar por dos días en la Isla del Sol, no habíamos ni desayunado, y buscábamos un hostal bonito, barato y que tenga cocina comunal. Buscamos desesperadamente en unos 6-10 hostales por todo el centro de Copacabana pero eran muy caros. Al subir la calle que pasa la Plaza principal que en circulan las mujeres vendedoras de velas encontramos nuestra última esperanza de encontrar un sitio bueno.
Al llegar al Hostal Florencia nos recibió una sonrisa inmensa en el rostro de Mery, un perro llamado Cachito, y dos mujeres más: Vanesa y María. Sentimos que allí era en donde teníamos que quedarnos. De una descargamos los bolsos en el tercer piso, y bajamos a cocinar algo sin ni siquiera bañarnos. Desde la cocina escuchábamos las risas de varias mujeres detrás de música de cumbia mientras se escuchaba que bailaban, y conversaban con Omar, “el Cubano” sobre ciertos ritmos y movimientos. Mientras esperábamos que hirviera la pasta, llego Vanesa, una chica que vive y ayuda en el hostal a preguntarnos, “¿Quieren practicar con nostras más noche? Estaremos ensayando para presentar mañana con la canción La Pollera Colorada ”. “Bueno seria divertido ver como ensayan y de pronto aprender una que otra movidita” pensamos. A eso de las 21:00 horas nos encontramos en la sala con Deysi, Mery, Nata, Vanesa, y Omar y Mayra-Sofia empezó a ensayar con el grupo. Dos horas después de mucha risa, jugaderas, bromas, errores que conformaron un ensayo de muy poca seriedad decidimos que era suficiente. “¡Ya no puedo más!,” exclamaba Mery quien era la obra maestra de la coreografía al centro de las otras chicas. Lo que más nos sorprendía era que no habían finalizado todos los pasos, no sabían que movimientos iban hacer durante esos 45 segundos que faltaban en la canción. Y lo que más nos gustaba era que todas se sentían orgullosas de sus ritmos, de sus caderas, y de que el día siguiente bailarían en público con la mejor coordinación imaginada. Ya íbamos a descansar cuando a eso de la media noche Mery (quien además de ser una mujer contagiosamente alegre es también la dueña del hostal) le pregunta a Mayra: "¿Y porque no bailas con nosotras mañana? Ya practicaste con nosotras, nos falta una bailadora. ¡Aquí esta! Tenemos una falda y blusa para ti! “Lo que pasa es que mañana salimos para La Paz y no creo que tengamos tiempo,”dijo Mayra con un tono de sorpresa. “¡Quédense otro día, nos vamos a divertir! ¡Por favor Chicas!,” y sin pensarlo dos veces aceptamos. Domingo de Viento y Calzones La presentación estaba programada a las 15:00 y eran las 14:30 y todavía no estában listas. Unas teníamos solo la pollera (falda amplia) puesta, otras luchaban para colocarse la flor en el cabello mientras gritaban “¡Necesito un gancho!”, y las otras todavía ni llegaban a vestirse. “No importa,” decían, “la presentación nos tienen que esperar porque somos el acto principal!” Mayra no podía creer que faltaban 30 minutos, no estaban listas, y además lo mejor/peor es que ni siquiera habían consensuado cuales serian los pasos finales! La Hora: 15:45 Al fin todas tenían sus flores bien acomodas, la sonrisa preparada para inmunizar cualquier sensación de nervios que pudiera surgir y salieron todas para la base Marina en donde estarían presentándose. Al llegar les dijeron que las otras presentadoras de bailes ya habían pasado y que ya era tarde. “¿Que?! ¿Que?!...” “Pero nosotras somos la presentación final, el mejor numero, en cinco minutos salimos, que preparen la música, y por favor díganos en donde es la pista o el escenario, “dijeron todas con todo el orgullo del mundo. La Hora: 15:55 Empieza la música y salen las chicas con sus faldas rojas, sus rosas en el cabello, y sus sonrisas tamaño Titicaca al son de la cumbia colombiana…El primer minuto estaba todo bien, ellas súper coordinadas, las manos sosteniendo la punta de las faldas y las caderas disfrutando de cómo se liberaban bajo el son de los tambores. En el segundo minuto las chicas seguían sincronizadas, sus polleras se alzaban, las manos las giraban de forma semi-circular, los hombros se rotaban de lado a lado, y sus sonrisas presentes en todo momento cuando así de repente empieza a soplar con una fuerza un viento violento y traicionero… El tercer minuto: viento que llego inesperadamente a soplarle las faldas a las chicas. Las faldas dejaron de obedecer a las palmas y dedos y más bien volaban en contra la gravedad al son del “Pa`qui, Pa`ya,”. Entre las risas y la sorpresa se miraba que unas se sonrojaban, otras se reían, otras se tocaban las caderas sobre sus faldas para taparse de las miradas de todo el público! Pero todo eso sin dejar de bailar y mirarse una a la otra con la cara de NOPUEDOCREERLO! El público miraba, unas personas ni parpadeaban, y las chicas seguían luchando contra el viento y contra cualquier sensación de pena que pudiera derrotarlas en ese instante. Eso duro algunos 120 segundos en tiempo real, sin embargo para las bailadoras fue una eternidad ese act de mostrar las piernas y la ropa debajo-del-torso en público sin anticipación alguna.
La Hora: 15:59 Caminando de lo más rápido posible pero sin correr entraron las chicas a la sala, todas murmurando, “¡No puedo creerlo, mostramos todo!”, y otras “¡Que vergüenza!”, y Mayra, “¡Nunca me imagine que me quedaría en Copacabana para mostrarle mis calzones a todo un público!” Pero todo esto valió la pena vivirlo. Esta experiencia nos unió mucho y disfrutamos cuatro días más con estas mujeres mientras esperábamos que el paro de transporte que se inicio al día siguiente se finalizara. Fue increíble formar una familia totalmente de Mujeres esos días mientras comíamos juntas, bailábamos en la sala, en la cocina, gritábamos que nos queríamos, y lloramos cuando sentimos la cercanía de la despedida. Con una torta, un almuerzo para chuparte-los-dedos, y un agradecimiento infinito, nos despedimos de la linda ciudad de Copacabana y de las chicas que bailaron la Pollera Colorada. Y aquí un resumen unas MUCOV que conocimos Mery: ¡Que bella Mujer! Luchadora por los derechos de las mujeres, y siempre reclamando el respeto y la dignidad de todas y todos, incluyendo el respeto y valorización a los árboles. Una altruista y organizadora de grupo de jóvenes, y madrina de las chicas que la adoran en la comunidad de Copacabana.
Vanesa: Una chica alegre, con una capacidad de amar y de ayudar a las demás personas que no se detiene frente a desconocidas. Con muchos sueños de viajar y conocer otros países, Vanesa está esperando terminar con sus metas en Copacabana para poder realizar sus viajes y emprender proyectos de arte. Una estudiante, artesana, danzante, y una ahijada de Mery, Vanesa desde que nos vio empezó a compartir su ternura y alegría con nosotras.
María: Una Mujer que baila con la soledad y con quien quiera acompañarla en sus esporádicos momentos de danza por los corredores del hostal. Llego a Copacabana y nadie sabe exactamente como fue ese trayecto desde la ciudad de La Paz dado que María vivía en la calle. Sabemos que fueron más o menos tres años en los cuales María sobrevivió en urbanizaciones y rincones de toda clase, buscando como continuar su vida después de que su pareja la hecho de la casa y se fugo con sus cuatro huahuas (bebes). María nos cuenta que vivió violaciones de toda clase antes de vivir en la calle y durante todo el tiempo que estuvo buscando refugio en algún lugar. Y fue en Copacabana en donde encontró un nuevo hogar en la casa de Mery. “Esa Mujer ha vuelto a nacer, es otra y ahora no hablamos del pasado sino del futuro, “dice Mery mientras mira a María con un cariño tan sincero. María actualmente trabaja en el hostal mientras se ríe en voz alta, baila, y dice sus bromas que algunas consideran indecentes y otras sorprendentes . Su canto continua resonando en nuestra memoria mientras ella sigue sanándose de todo el maltrato que sufrió su cuerpo y su mente por muchos años. ¡Abrazos y saludos para las chicas que han mostrado sus calzones en público! Nata, Deysi, Vane, Mery!!!! Copacabana gracias por ser la ventana para entrar la grandeza de La Paz!