When most people say they live in a dump, most are simply referring to their house or room being a mess. However, our first full day of experiencing Nicaragua, we got to see the current situation of the local dump, “La Chureca,” and the people who live there. Previously, it was an open dump where people and trash could come and go as they please. It was almost a competition to see who could get to the dump first to get the best trash to recycle, and most people would hitch a ride on the back of garbage trucks to be there for the first pick. The trash dump served as a home and source of revenue for families, through the selling and recycling of the trash they found.
However, the Nicaraguan government, with help from the Spanish government, decided to, “clean up,” the community by providing new homes to families who met certain requirements, such as how long they’ve lived in the dump. Moreover, they built a recycling plant which provided a very limited amount of jobs. They put up walls, and limited the amount of space that the dump took up, making it more difficult for people to collect trash items. While the thought was in the right place, both forms of government made it more difficult for the families there with this change. The houses they built required more bills to be paid than the families were used to, and the new jobs provided were not fairly distrusted. This affected a large majority of the families because they went from having an income of selling recyclables, to having no income at all. The jobs that were created were given to people who already have influence in the community, versus giving the jobs equally so that one person in the household would have a source of income, regardless if it was a man or woman.
After this trip, and learning about more struggles the community faces, these problems cannot be solved through simply giving money. The problems need to be solved by providing close attention and hands on work to create a fair and safe environment for men and women of all sexual orientation and class to live in.
I think one of the concepts you are observing is “unintended consequences”. The intent was to improve the community and people’s lives. Surely everybody thinks living in an actual house with utilities is better than living in makeshift housing in a trash dump. However, the impact on families and individuals included more than the improvement in housing situation, and it was a negative impact. It’s important in planning policies and programs to think through the possible consequences to arrive at the best solution possible. Part of what needs to be addressed in this situation (and many others) is power imbalance.