The struggle:
These children live in La Canoa. They have progressed beyond the limits of the local Catholic school and so each day they climb down the mountain in order to attend classes in Los Patos. They leave their homes at around 7 AM and begin the climb back to the paraje at 12 noon. Johnny La Fleu has a different schedule. He descends at noon and begins the long trip back up at 6 PM. With tropical storm Noel, the country road has more rocks and crevasses which need to be avoided. Think of the dedication in these young people, together with the strong motivation not to end up like their parents: totally dependent upon the graces of Dominican land owners and limited to a life of precarious subsistence.
A disaster fueled by ignorance:
In the first picture, study the slope which a person in desperation decided to burn and then attempt to plant: the ground falls away at an angle close to 80 %. People do not ruin the side of a mountain nor waste the precious top soil because they are evil. The pattern of soil abuse arises from a vacuum of knowledge. As long as the children keep studying, their chances of repeating the same mistake grow smaller and smaller.
A leadership crisis:
We need these children to become the future leaders in the mountains. They will develop skills in writing and reading which the vast majority of immigrants lack. They will acquire a much better grasp of what erosion is and how it destroys the long term carrying capacity of the land. But the lack of employment will push these children towards Santo Domingo or other cities that offer a better chance to make a living... thus, the gap in rural talent.
What can be done now?
Small businesses have room to grow in the Paraiso area. For example, the production of bread and spaghetti, juice and spirits can respond to local market needs. Imagine a world in which large corporations like Hershey, Pepsi, Heinz, and others take little steps to share "backward" food production technology with remote areas.
These children inspire.
Watching these young people struggle simply to find a space for education...one can not help but be impressed. Whereas other children in our world have every convenience, these kids push on with very little. When families bring forth such dedicated children, will real solutions to serious problems by beyond our reach?
