“What I bring from the social kitchen and from the solidarity pantry, I share with an older woman who has lived alone for two years. She ran away from home because her husband abused her, and she is still afraid to go out, in case he finds her.”
Araceli
ARACELI
(63 years old, México)
user of the solidarity pantry in La Villana de Vallekas*
“I am not ashamed to say that I am poor and to ask for food. I think that the shame are those people who, having economic resources, prefer to spend them on 200€ socks rather than on a plate of food or a higher salary for their employees.” – Araceli.
Araceli was born in Mexico but grew up and spent much of her life in the United States and Canada. Since 2000 she has lived in Spain. She always looked for life in her own way and since being in Spain she has tried to get various jobs - from a teacher and / or English translator (she is bilingual) to an administrative position. But as she says: "here, if you don't have a diploma, your experience, no matter how long, is worthless."
Araceli is a member of the Platform for those Affected by Mortgages in the Vallecas district of Madrid and lives in one of the occupied houses managed by this platform. She would like society to realize everything that really needs to be changed: consumption habits, food waste, human networks and solidarity.
In normal times she does little translation works, some classes of language, but all informally and based on word of mouth. During the confinement her entire network of small jobs fell apart and she was left without resources. To eat, she went to the social kitchen every day and once a week to the La Villana de Vallekas solidarity dispensation, a center where she has also been very involved as a volunteer for several years.
*To learn more about the center and / or support the solidarity pantry enter here: LA VILLANA DE VALLEKAS
