Consuelo's Story

Consuelo (known fondly as Chelito) has been living in Colonia Panfilo Natera since its beginning when the dump it is built on was still active. On first arriving, she received a great deal of help from a man named Frank who has a clinic and distribution center at the base of the dump. She was also one of the founders of Centro Santa Catalina and the women's sewing cooperative. Here she describes the beginnings of her life in the colonia and how she came to meet the Dominican Sisters who started Centro Santa Catalina.

We (my family and I) came from the countryside in Durango. When we came there were not any people in the colonia yet. We came because my husband had gone through five operations. He had four of them in Durango and the last one here in Juarez. When we came here, we came with two daughters and our grandchildren. We all went to work in the dump. Then a lady, a close friend of Frank (who ran a clinic down the hill), asked me, "Where do you work"? I said that we worked in the dump.

She said, "Who is your husband?" I said, "He can't come and eat because of his operation. He needs another operation, but we don't have the money for it". She said, "Let's go talk to Frank". So Vikki (the lady) went to Frank and said, "Frank, come meet with this woman Chelito." 

So I presented myself and our situatuion to Frank and we talked about the problems that our family had. Frank said, "I can help you because I have more (resources). I want you and your husband to be able to work."

I said, "Sir, I don't have enough money to buy food." He said, "I can give you two hundred pesos (twenty dollars). I want you, your children and your husband to come here ((to my center)."

I brought my husband (and family). Frank had my husband operated on. He asked how we had heard of him. I said, "I talked with the lady, Vikki."

Frank helped us to build a small house to live in, where we live now. Thanks be to God, my husband's health is better, but it is still a bad situation because he cannot work. He used to be able to walk well. Now he can't do much more than eat and walk to the bathroom. Thanks be to God that he is alive.

So the women came to live around here in the dump. It was dark(here), without water or anything. It was very ugly. Now that we are trying to buy the land (where we live), it is a big pain. We pay every month. We want to pay for all of it (so that it's ours). It costs twenty-two thousand pesos (in total, about $220 US Dollars). We pay two hundred pesos every month. We also need money to pay for water, electricity, gas and food. It is difficult. We are trying to move forward.

That's how this colonia was: ugly. We didn't have a house. We were wating for a house and there were four of us living in the colonia together. It was dark. Then people started coming and coming.. Still there was no light and it was very dark. Now we have electricity but it is very expensive along with water and gas.

When they got rid of the dump, there was no more work for us. We were ready to move somewhere else. Then I started going to prayer (with Sister Donna, Elli and other women in the colonia). I went to prayer regularly. I got along well with her (Sister Donna) and we talked together about the people living here in the little houses. But she couldn't understand anything I said and I couldn't her (because Sister Donna didn't speak any Spanish yet). Eventually, she started to understand. We said, "Sister Donna, we should make a big room there (in the dump, for prayer)".

"And how?" she asked. I said, "Talk with the priest and ask him for help to make the building and we can work (to raise money)." Sister Donna asked, "What would we make?" I said, "Paper flowers and piñatas." "And what else?"

So we did this to raise money to buld the building. (And) she (Donna) had to go ask and ask for money in El Paso (to build the first building.) And now here we are (with Centro Santa Catalina) much wider and larger.