My experience with Jorge in Cerro Blanco turned out to be so incredible and inspiring that I wanted more. So I agreed to accompany him on another visit to a different area of Seville: Tres Mil Viviendas.
This particular area is considered to be the worst case of vertical slums in half a century. Education and employment rates are low and illiteracy and poverty rates are high. It is almost completely socially ignored from the city as it is considered by many to be too dangerous and hopeless to find a solution to the difficult situation.
And so, with Jorge, I went.
Note: When I told my intercambio, Ramón, that I went to Tres Mil Viviendas, he said, "You went WHERE?!
This time the experience was a little different. Jorge has been working with this area for years, and so he has built relationships with the people. In fact, the children seemed to be even waiting for him when we arrived.
Jorge began walking towards a courtyard in the middle of housing complexes, and I quickly followed behind. I found myself in the middle of a gray, barren space with children scattered amongst the trash on the ground. I was standing in the center of the place they call home. But before I could spend too much time trying to imagine the lives these children must have, Jorge blew his whistle and yelled, "Let's go play soccer!"
Within seconds children started pouring out of their homes into the courtyard, running towards Jorge and yelling with excitement.
"Jorge! Jorge! You finally came! When are we going to play?"
"Jorge! What did you bring for us to eat?"
"Jorge! Wait! I need to put my shoes on!"
What followed was something similar to Cerro Blanco: he passed out soccer jerseys, chatted with them, divided them into teams, and played with them. Then, of course, gave them yogurt afterward. Thus, I believe my experience will best be expressed with the photos I took that day.
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