Old Before Their Time

Many of the ladies around the village who are in their 50’s and 60’s look 80 and most of the men, who are probably no more than 60, appear to be much older. All of them have little or no money.

The older men sit at their doorsteps or hang around La Penita swapping stories all day because they have nothing better to do with their time. They haven't been physically able to work in years.

Most of the elderly women we see are stuck looking after a brood of small children so their daughters and/or nieces can work to support the family.

These people look old because they’ve struggled and worked hard all their lives. For example Maria’s husband Pedro, was worked as a mule hauling heavy loads of rock over long distances during his late teens and 20's. When people first meet him they think he’s a dirty, lazy old man, but they don’t know his background. Maria just shared his sad story with me last week.

Many of the younger workers we see around Guayabitos and Penita will also get old before their time. They all put in 10 or 12 hour days. They seldom take a vacation and many never take a day off. The construction workers carry heavy 5 gallon pails of concrete and massive loads of material around each day and no one is properly equipped for the job. Safety apparatus is unheard of and soft rubber thongs or inexpensive sandals are worn by everyone.

These faces tell a story! They have not had an easy life and their retirement years aren’t fun!