Bananas Teach Solidarity in Barquisimeto

Sister Maigualide del Valle Riera shares this story from Venezuela.

She explains how it all started one day, when a friend sent her a WhatsApp message, asking if she would like to accept a donation of bananas - for distributing to the needy children for whom the Society cares in the ‘barrios’, that is to say, Barquisimeto’s very poor neighbourhoods.  Quickly, she set off in her friend's small truck to visit the largest market in Barquisimeto to look for the bananas.  On the first day, 22 baskets of bananas were donated, each basket containing 20 kilos of bananas - that is, 440 kilos of bananas in all. She and her team considered this a large quantity of bananas and began by distributing them to all the children, who participate in MMS’ Latidos music programme, or come for meals to the soup kitchen. Since there were bananas left over, they then moved on to another neighbourhood of the city and finished distributing the bananas there. What impressed them most about this task?  Sister Maigualide says that it was the children’s joy in receiving the bananas; they were so grateful.  Women approached her, saying, "We had nothing to eat for today, but these bananas will solve our problem - now we have something to give to our children." Others said, “These bananas come as a blessing ….”

Words, like these, helped her to understand that for most people a kilo of bananas is not particularly significant, but that particular day, for more than 300 people in Barquisimeto, a kilo of bananas helped them to regain hope. Their faces lit up, as they received a bunch of bananas and, at the end of the day, she shared some of the photos with the donor.  The woman was so touched by seeing people's gratitude that she invited Sister Maigualide and her team to visit four days a week to fetch donated supplies of bananas. Their van was even too small to transport all of them and Sister Maigualide had to persuade a number of local institutions to join her in collecting and distributing the ample supplies.

At first, the four young men helping to load the truck did this with little care or attention but, as time goes by and they see the significance of what bananas mean to hungry people, they have started to put love into this simple task.  “You are doing a great job and we are here to help you!”, they shout as, very carefully, they now select those bananas that are not so fresh and place them in a separate corner of the vehicle.  Previously, they did not care if the bananas were damaged bananas or not.  This change of attitude fills us with joy.  It values the people who will eat the surplus supply.

Sister Maigualide also explains how priority is given to the poorest neighbourhoods, which are now visited every two days, because here, people have very little else to eat except the bananas.  Currently, on a weekly basis, she and her team are receiving 100 baskets of bananas weighing 22 kilos each, making an amazing total of 2,200 kilos per week. This supports more than 800 families in poor areas of the city.  She finds it moving to see how people wait for the bananas to arrive, as if they are expecting a very precious gift.

On one occasion, when a man came to ask for bananas, her team told him to take as many as he wanted, but he took only a few. When it was suggested that he should help himself to some more, he replied, “No, thank you, Sir, I have taken my share; there must be enough left for everyone else because I know how much need there is in this place.”  The spirit of community solidarity is so inspiring!

With sadness, Sister Maigualide reflects that her country continues to live through a very tough economic crisis, which generates more and more hunger and poverty.  However, she also considers that distribution of bananas in Barquisimeto is teaching her and its communities a number of important lessons - for example, they are becoming aware that sharing with others - however little or much they have - rekindles hope among people.  They are also learning to take only what is necessary, in the spirit of sharing, aware that there must be enough for everyone - that, in this world, we stand in solidarity with each other.  "It is too easy to try and grab everything one can," says Sister Maigualide. "We forget that there are others, who wait patiently to receive what is their due, too."  

Finally, she describes how the gratitude of children and families is priceless.  Every day, when she and her team arrive in a neighbourhood, first to run after the truck are the children, smiling and waving as they shout, “Our blessings have arrived ... The bananas are here!”  Hearing the noise, people come out from their homes into the streets with their small bags and each one receives a portion of bananas which is, for them, a real life-line.  Sister Maigualide is moved to tears by their thankfulness - so sure that these bananas are very special because they are giving so much life, joy and hope.

Finally, she sends her own word of thanks to all of the Society’s donors around the world, who are doing so much to help us in so many different ways - not least, ordinary citizens, living in Venezuela.