For the Urban Planning unit in Technology, I am researching the biggest slum from my hometown, Caracas: Petare. Petare is located to the east border of Caracas, and it is estimated that there are more than 500,000 people living there. In general, Petare is a very unsafe and unhealthy slum; and I will be focusing on the big garbage disposal issue it has been facing for so long. Caracas is located in the north of Venezuela (a northern South-American country).
Petare is living in a sea of trash. The rotting garbage attracts rats and worms to the containers (which aren't big enough to hold the enormous amounts of trash being disposed of by the inhabitants of the slum), and the people's health as well as mood is negatively affected by this issue.
I have developed 3 solution ideas for the garbage issue in Petare, 2 of which are in conjunction with each other. First, I though about building recycled trash containers, in order to increase the amount of places where people are able to dispose of their garbage. Second, I thought about engineering narrow (but tall and long) minitrucks, as the fact that Petare's streets are extremely narrow and uneven isn't helping the garbage collection issue (the idea was to build a vehicle that is manoeuvrable but strong and stable at the same time). Lastly, I have what I like to call the Electroportic Duct. This is my preferred solution idea for the problem in Petare. It is basically a big duct that goes down the hill of the slum where people can dispose of the trash without having to go to extreme places to do so. It will be very long and wide, and it will make the process of disposing of garbage easier.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Life in a slum of Caracas
The following is the narrative that I have done for technology. I had to pretend I lived in a slum of Caracas, and using my knowledge and some research I think I did a good job at portraying myself a teenager living in a slum. I have also included some pictures at the end, along with my sources of information.
I live in a “cerro” (slum/hill) in Caracas, Venezuela called Petare. My neighbourhood is not the prettiest, or the cleanest. It is mostly composed of narrow alleys, houses made of bricks, and some of them even made out of wooden planks. We live in a hill in the east of Caracas. I am a Venezuelan native and speak only Spanish.
I don’t live a very hygienic life; we do not have running water, sewage services, or a stable roof that does not leak. As for electricity, we take it illegally by connecting to the light pole. It is extremely risky, but it’s free so we might as well just do it. Our neighbourhood is very unsafe. We have some sort of informal curfew according to which we do not go out after 8 pm, if we do we run the risk of getting mugged or worse, murdered. My home is very small, despite the fact that we have 6 people in it (my mom, my dad, my grandma, and my 2 older brothers). We only have 2 bedrooms, and a septic tank. We share rooms, and sometimes beds. Luckily, sometimes my brother stays out for the night robbing people, and so I get the bed for myself.
Like all teenagers in my “barrio” (slum) I have a rough day, but I’ve gotten used to it. By now I know where to watch out for “malandros” (gang members) and at what time they operate. My typical day consists of the following routine: I wake up early (around 4 am), take a bath with a bucket, eat my breakfast, and depending what time of the year it is I wait for the sun to rise in order to “safely” go out. After that, I take the Jeep ride downhill to get into the subway. The subway, by the way, is filthy and always gets utterly crowded. After I ride the subway, I walk to the public school I study in. After I finish school I take the subway and Jeep ride back home and, some days, I run into one of my brother’s friends and they give me a ride uphill in their motorcycle. I get home, put my school bag away and go play basketball with my friends from the neighbourhood for about an hour. Sometimes we have to shorten the game due to the drug dealers taking over the court to do their business. I get home, do my homework, and watch “novellas” (soap operas) with my family. After that, we stick to the informal curfew and go to bed. We, of course, blot the doors and windows before we do. I still remember how I couldn’t sleep when I was younger because of the gunshots. Now, for better or for worse, I’m used to it and it doesn’t bother me anymore.
One thing that I personally like about my community is that we are there for each other. This is not limited to family, my neighbours and we have a very special bond. We always stick up for each other, celebrate victories together, party together, and we are there for them during difficult times as they are there for us. I also enjoy my friends and the things we do together.
However, no good thing can come without a bad thing. Transportation is very difficult; sometimes I have to wait a long time before I can catch the next Jeep ride. Hygiene is a major issue as well, as the septic tank overflows sometimes. And security overall is another huge problem we face.
I really wish, though, that there was a sewage system, a safe electricity supply, a bigger house to hold the needs of my family, a Metrocable system like in San AgustÃn, and a safer lifestyle.
It is definitely not the best way to live in the world, but it isn’t all that bad. I just like my life the way it is, with both the good things and the not-so-good ones.
Sources
I live in a “cerro” (slum/hill) in Caracas, Venezuela called Petare. My neighbourhood is not the prettiest, or the cleanest. It is mostly composed of narrow alleys, houses made of bricks, and some of them even made out of wooden planks. We live in a hill in the east of Caracas. I am a Venezuelan native and speak only Spanish.
I don’t live a very hygienic life; we do not have running water, sewage services, or a stable roof that does not leak. As for electricity, we take it illegally by connecting to the light pole. It is extremely risky, but it’s free so we might as well just do it. Our neighbourhood is very unsafe. We have some sort of informal curfew according to which we do not go out after 8 pm, if we do we run the risk of getting mugged or worse, murdered. My home is very small, despite the fact that we have 6 people in it (my mom, my dad, my grandma, and my 2 older brothers). We only have 2 bedrooms, and a septic tank. We share rooms, and sometimes beds. Luckily, sometimes my brother stays out for the night robbing people, and so I get the bed for myself.
Like all teenagers in my “barrio” (slum) I have a rough day, but I’ve gotten used to it. By now I know where to watch out for “malandros” (gang members) and at what time they operate. My typical day consists of the following routine: I wake up early (around 4 am), take a bath with a bucket, eat my breakfast, and depending what time of the year it is I wait for the sun to rise in order to “safely” go out. After that, I take the Jeep ride downhill to get into the subway. The subway, by the way, is filthy and always gets utterly crowded. After I ride the subway, I walk to the public school I study in. After I finish school I take the subway and Jeep ride back home and, some days, I run into one of my brother’s friends and they give me a ride uphill in their motorcycle. I get home, put my school bag away and go play basketball with my friends from the neighbourhood for about an hour. Sometimes we have to shorten the game due to the drug dealers taking over the court to do their business. I get home, do my homework, and watch “novellas” (soap operas) with my family. After that, we stick to the informal curfew and go to bed. We, of course, blot the doors and windows before we do. I still remember how I couldn’t sleep when I was younger because of the gunshots. Now, for better or for worse, I’m used to it and it doesn’t bother me anymore.
One thing that I personally like about my community is that we are there for each other. This is not limited to family, my neighbours and we have a very special bond. We always stick up for each other, celebrate victories together, party together, and we are there for them during difficult times as they are there for us. I also enjoy my friends and the things we do together.
However, no good thing can come without a bad thing. Transportation is very difficult; sometimes I have to wait a long time before I can catch the next Jeep ride. Hygiene is a major issue as well, as the septic tank overflows sometimes. And security overall is another huge problem we face.
I really wish, though, that there was a sewage system, a safe electricity supply, a bigger house to hold the needs of my family, a Metrocable system like in San AgustÃn, and a safer lifestyle.
It is definitely not the best way to live in the world, but it isn’t all that bad. I just like my life the way it is, with both the good things and the not-so-good ones.
Sources
- Personal experiences
- Personal interview with Valmy Diaz (my father)
- http://www.freeserbia.net/Articles/2006/DonChavez.html
Thursday, January 21, 2010
P.S.A Survey
I have finally finished the survey to collect feedback from my audience. It would be really helpful if everyone could take the survey and answer as honestly as possible. CLICK ON THE TITLE TO GO TO THE SURVEY! Thanks
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Stop Littering. Start Recycling!
This is it! It's the final version of my P.S.A! At first it was supposed to be against bullying, but because of casting issues I decided against it. Now it is against littering. Hope you like it!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Anti-Bullying P.S.A
Here is the P.S.A I have chosen for Technology this week. The audience is mostly school-aged children and teens. It may not be too elaborate, but the message is clear: Stand up to bullying, don't let other people get hurt.
P.S= For those of you who don't know, you have to click the title to go to the website (youtube).
P.S= For those of you who don't know, you have to click the title to go to the website (youtube).
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Welcome to my blog
Welcome to the best blog ever! This is where all the posts from my tech class will be found. So if you want to know what MYP4 is doing, then you know where to go!
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