The essentially rural population is deprived of the principal
services. The inhabitants do not possess electricity, gas or running water. The
main task of the economy is survival. The technical progress does not exist and
the rudimentary division of work is based on the differences of sex and age. The
level of specialization is very poor and even the craftsmen, who are specialists
of a kind, participate in the communal works.
90 percent of the adults have not completed or not even started
the primary level of education, and even nowadays, when school can be found in
many of the communities, the actual presence of teachers is very irregular.
Families are rather numerous with the average of six children. It occurs
frequently that parents bring up children of other families or their own
grandchildren, whose parents migrated towards the cities in search for work.
High birth rate is not noticeable due to the elevated mortality among infants
caused by malnutrition and lack of medical services.
The inhabitants of Santiago del Estero are very hospitable,
patient and submissive. They are often accused of lack of initiative, character
feature determined by the unfavourable living conditions and enslaving work
which makes it difficult for them to believe that life could be any better.
OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND
The majority of the families occupy private or public lands in
spite of the fact that they have been living in the area for more than 50 or
even 100 years. Even if the legislation of Argentina recognizes the right of the
inhabitants to possess the land in case they have been living on the plot
peacefully and continuously for more than 20 years, in reality they cannot
achieve the title of the owner of the property due to the elevated prices of the
measurement and payments for registration.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PARISH
Fully realizing the right of the inhabitants to possess the land
and the importance that the ownership of the land might have for construction of
dignified households and realizing further improvements, the Parish has
supported the legitimate reclaims for the twenty-years possession, protecting
this way rights of so many families that struggled and suffered here for so many
years. It is very sad to face the obvious insensitivity of the government,
autocratic delays and electoral promises that never come to be realized. During
the past few years, the negotiations of the families have been supported by the
organization of neighbours.
ACCOMODATION
The typical housing of the region is “the rancho”. It is
constructed with four pitchforks made of wood of quebracho, serving as a roof
support. The roof is made with straps of white quebracho and branches of a bush
called “jarilla”; the walls are made of clay. The main risk of this type of
housing lies in the fact that insects dwell easily in its material, especially
“the vinchuca”, which transmits the decease “Mal de Chagas. Dwellings are
separated from each other and dispersed in the woods.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PARISH
Between 1980-1982, the parish received governmental support for
the plan of eradication of schools and some other housing constructed in this
manner. Apart from this period, no other governmental support was given and the
works had to be accomplished by mutual help.
The parish started with making of bricks. Afterwards, the
professional bricklayer was paid to advice the others and among themselves, the
locals constructed one house after another, helping one another. Roofs were made
of corrugated sheets of zinc that, although very hot, does not allow nesting of
insects.
Little by little, the locals discovered the importance that a
more dignified living has for a human being. In the past few years more than
fifty houses were constructed and many others improved. The parish helped by
providing the material and coordination of the works.
WORK AND MEANS OF SURVIVAL
Local sources of work practically do not exist. Without quality
roads, water or electricity no projects for the region are economically
profitable. Forestry and stockbreeding are the fundamental activities.
Traditional system of forest exploitation is primitive and inefficient; it
requires intense and excessive labour. As most of the tasks are accomplished
manually, working in the forest is extremely hard and dangerous, demanding
enormous effort from the workers, which are most of the time exposed to insecure
conditions. Numerous accidents and irreparable physical damage happen as a
result. Forest workers, aged between 15 to 65 years, live separated from their
families in groups of four or six men for a week or two. They hardly come to
satisfy their basic needs such as water, proper housing and food, family
affection and a fair salary.
The main part of the wood extracted from the forests of Santiago
del Estero is assigned to production of charcoal, which is later sold for
domestic use, or is used in the iron and steel industry as a reducing element.
Charcoal is a product of a low added value which produces and output of 6:1; it
means that it is necessary to burn 6 tones of wood to obtain 1 ton of charcoal.
Considerable amounts of wood are cut for local use of cooking and heating.
The stockbreeding is also very primitive. Stock, which is raised
in these regions and is known as “Creole”, is a rustic and bony animal with big
horns, meagre in meat and fat. It feeds on the local vegetation and adapts well
to the extremely hot summer climate. The character of the vegetation requires a
minimal extension of 5 to 7 hectares for every animal, which is a highly
extensive exploitation of land. Some families possess small herds of goats as
well as mares or mules that are used for transport or work in agriculture.
Families cultivate small fields of corn, pumpkin and watermelons
that serve mainly for their own supply. Labour of family members is used for
agricultural works. This social form of work organization is characteristic for
smallholdings and is predominant in the region. In the majority of cases workers
do not receive salary or the retirement pension.
Lack of working possibilities forces enormous quantities of
population to leave their land. Whole families are leaving. Life in the country
is very difficult. Cultivation of every plant requires constant care of a
countryman, water is not available when it is needed, and often, when it finally
comes, sudden flood washes away all the effort. In the city, although they live
in precarious housing, hospital is nearby as well as school, markets are cheaper
because they can choose where to buy, and work, when achieved, does not depend
on climate, calamities or insecure price of the crop.
Apart from these so-called definitive migrations, there are
other, seasonal movements of the population. Variety of crops in neighbourhood
areas require large quantities of labour during the harvest season, while during
the growing period a demand for workers is low. Therefore farmers hire
transitory personnel for the months of higher need. Mayor movements happen in
times of sugar cane, corn, beans and soy harvests.
Women not only carry out all the hard work around the house (husbands
spent most of the time working out) and take care of animals, but they also
maintain the tradition of weaving on the loom, arts and crafts activity dating
back to ancient times. They spin and dye wool to make tapestry and blankets.
All these activities that bring along visible income are
complemented by a sort of invisible income based on relations within family and
neighbours. Short time agreements between neighbours include lending and
borrowing of tools, exchange of food for work, bricks or the possibility of
crossbreeding the animals.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PARISH
When The Parish started operating in San Jose del Boqueron,
local families were nomads. All the family members travelled to participate in
the harvest. Nowadays, due to firmer establishment of the family in the region
and presence of schools, only husbands travel.
The Parish cooperates in organizing sales and searching for
markets to sell local produce (tapestry, charcoal, wood).
A carpentry that was opened on The Parish territory could not
function permanently due to insufficient demand for its production. There is no
market for these products among the inhabitants of the region and a
transportation to further located areas is very expensive.
With help of Caritas, sewing and weaving workshops functioning
in chapels of various villages were opened. Mothers can use sewing machines to
make or repair their own cloths as well as mind donated cloths that are later
sold in order to buy food for children, sick and old people.
The Parish of San Jose del Boqueron participated together with
four other parishes located on the right bank of river Salado in a project
supported by The Bishop of Anatuya called “The project of Salado” It’s purpose
was to provide conditions for local people necessary for their survival and
permanent life in the region.
During 15 years of its duration (1984-1999), other community
projects, such as brickworks, cotton harvests, charcoal and forestry production,
breeding of small cattle, irrigation canals, construction of wells and vegetable
family gardens emerged. Local meetings with cotton producers and breeders of
goats gave rise to an organization “Union of Small Producers of Northern Salado”
managed by locals themselves. 110 families united within The Parish work on
improvements of nourishment and breeding of animals. They are organized in
groups whose representatives meet monthly.
Last year more steps were taken towards a better living in a
community. With a support of INCUPO, institution in charge of public education,
and important training aimed at improvement of country life took place. Advising
was provided especially for women on how to breed goats and run community
gardens. En Santiago del Estero, man migrate among different provinces to work
at harvests, therefore women play principal role in a family production and
cultivation of land.
The Faculty of Engineering of The Catholic University of Cordoba
contributed by the establishment of electric installations in The Parish and
repairing of the local windmill.
Technicians and professors of the same university, specialized
in problems of the country such as water resources, cattle breeding, pastures
and sowing are working in the region. They intent to crossbreed cattle in order
to improve quality of local stock.
New period was started that will improve living conditions of
the families in the future and, perhaps, increase the percentage of young people
that decide to stay in the region.
