Newsletters

Date: October 21st 2008

Visit to Camelot
10/6/08


Accompaniers Miranda Brown Lee, Bob Lesley and Ruth Nelson were joined by a group of four people on a mission trip to Barranquilla from the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio for a trip to the city of Camelot, a city for displaced persons and poor people from Barranquilla.

Camelot was founded four years ago and is affiliated with ANDESCOL (National Organization of Displaced Persons of Colombia). People come there for two reasons 1) they are displaced because of violence or 2) they are there for economic reasons; ie the results of the violence. People attending the meeting ranged in age from 1 month to 60 plus years. Attending were 20 adults (mostly women) and 6 children.

After each of the guests introduced himself one man who had been displaced since 1997 acted as a spokesman for the group. The "displaced" people receive more money than the people who are there for economic reasons, but all receive welfare for food. As there are 36 children in the program, there is an ongoing project to build a school in the city because currently the school is far away and a dangerous walk.

Various attendees were introduced, and we were told how each was working to help the group. It is the constitutional right of Colombians to have a home, but the homes that are provided are totally inadequate often with dirt floors. People were clean, well dressed and extremely welcoming. Their faces and sad eyes revealed their hardships.. The pregnant wife of the spokesman was the last to speak and spoke passionately about the desire to return to their homes and lives.

At the end our coordinator, German, suggested that we join arms as an indication of our solidarity as we accompany them on their journey.

Ruth Nelson