Our community is made up of 4 sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux, three of whom are retired. We have been living in this town in Almeria since March 2008. Since the arrival of many immigrants to the town, we as a Province saw the need to share our lives with them.
OUR EXPERIENCE IN CAMPOHERMOSO
Our community is made up of 4 sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux, three of whom are retired. We have been living in this town in
Campohermoso belongs to the Nijar district in
Our short experience here has shown us that this is a town where the population consists mainly of immigrants who are without work. There are also Spanish born people who are also unemployed. Before coming here immigrants have a very difficult time, especially those who come from
They come from many different palaces:
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Another great difficulty that they experience is the distress caused by the fact that they are not given permission to stay in the country even after being here for five years and more. Securing a contract to work is another huge obstacle – sometimes the company that employs them is not legal or it is not solvent and some employers demand money from workers -1.000 to 1200 € just for the right to work.
Another cause for concern is housing. Many cannot afford rent and so they move to abandoned, ruined dwellings in the country. They try to repair these dwellings themselves. They have no light or sometimes they hook up to the electric grid and the authorities turn a blind eye. They have no water or sanitary facilities and their houses are damp and letting in the rain. Too many people are living in such inhumane conditions. Through Caritas, representation has been made to the town Council and it is through Caritas that we are made more aware of this harsh reality that is the lot of so many people.
The crisis is affecting everyone. Farmers are suffering a lowering of prices for their produce and as a result they cannot afford to hire people for the harvest and even in some cases their houses and lands are mortgaged.
In this context, the best help we can offer is teaching Spanish in the parishes of Campohermoso and
A sister does pastoral work in prison where there are immigrants.
We receive more from the Spanish classes that what we give. After their work the immigrants come to the classes. As well as learning the language, the participants share their culture and the values of their respective countries; they share the suffering they have experienced as a result of having to leave their country, their families, their possessions and all they hold dear in order to carve out a new life for themselves.
We are challenged by such injustice and we often feel quite powerless when faced with situations that we can do nothing about except accompany those who are in distress. Hope alone sustains us.
We see that in order to maintain hope and create a more equal and just world where there is food and dignity for all, we must try to live trust and abandonment of which our Founder spoke so often.
The community of Campohermoso
