Arcesio Lamprea

It could have been many things that made Arcesio so nervous to be interviewed. He is connected with Fundación ArcÁngeles through a job development program to help people with disabilities find jobs or make jobs more accessible. Maybe he thought I was screening him for a job (although I made very clear my connection to Fundación ArcÁngeles and the purpose of the interview). Maybe being at Fundación ArcÁngeles made him feel awkward. He could have just been camera shy or, most likely, he was probably uncomfortable talking about his life experiences with a complete stranger (who that day was delirious with a second round of a head cold that made her Spanish quite interesting). I didn’t immediately assume it would be the latter that made him seem so uncomfortable just because it happened so long ago. “It” being the day Arcesio’s life changed.

Eighteen years ago, Arcesio was a nineteen year old fulfilling the two year obligatory military service required of young Colombian men. “It was a normal day,” he told me. “We had just eaten breakfast, our stomachs were full. We were out on patrol in the mountains of northeastern Colombia for about 2 hours. It was 11 am.” At 11 am that day Arcesio stepped on a landmine that he reckons was probably there for around two years. Arcesio says he looked down after the blast to see his right leg completely blown off. All he could think about was killing himself. “I’m not worth anything now. What good am I?” he had thought. Arcesio’s left leg had to later be amputated when gangrene infested. He says the amputation saved his life.

Arcesio has since come a long way from his nineteen year old mentality after the landmine explosion. He no longer uses a wheel chair. He has a wife and an 11 year old daughter. He’s now looking for a stable job. He does not want to kill himself. The biggest challenge he faces now is not his own mentality, but the mentality of Colombian society. Arcesio describes the mentality of Colombian society regarding people with disabilities as condescending and discriminating. He says it is very difficult to find a job if you have a disability and people do not usually treat him like other co-workers. “I just want to be treated like a ‘normal’ person.”

Arcesio looks forward to finding a stable job, “hopefully watching security cameras or the like.” Arcesio has come to the right place towards reaching his two goals. Fundación ArcÁngeles is working around the clock to change Colombians’ prejudices against people with disabilities and aiming to create more jobs for this population. As for Arcesio’s tension during the interview, I can’t say. I was an hour blip in Arcesio’s life which is not long enough to make assumptions (although, is there really any time frame in which assumptions are acceptable?). I wish Arcesio the best! He is in good hands!

Watch Alirio’s Story of Survival here

Maximus Miami Quad Rugby

This promo video for quad rugby in Miami has everything…laughs…action…MY voice!  Not only was I impressed to be able to watch the creation of this video at Fundación ArcÁngeles in Bogotá, I was able to contribute.  The media team needed a panicked reporter, I walked in to take a tour of the facilities, and bingo!  A gringa to pose as a panicked reporter.  Enjoy the survivor action!

Photo by Lindsey Crifasi, 2009 AP Fellow. Location: Bogotá, Colombia. Partner: Survivor Corps.

Photo by Lindsey Crifasi, 2009 AP Fellow. Location: Bogotá, Colombia. Partner: Survivor Corps.

From left to right: Survivor Corps country director Jairo Arboleda, Fundación Arcángeles architect, and Fundación Arcángeles founder Juan Pablo Salazar.

On Friday Jairo, my friend Juliette, and I made a trip to Fundación Arcángeles.  The trip had two purposes.  Survivor Corps had just secured some funding for Arcángeles’ quad rugby program and Jairo wanted to check in and see how this project was going.  Another reason for the trip was for the Arcángeles people and I to get to know one another.  I hope to make a trip back soon to begin interviews.

The Arcángeles facilities and staff were more than I expected.  The facilities were housed in an old mansion which had been updated to be completely accessible.  There were two workout areas, speech therapy and occupational therapy rooms, rooms for more advanced therapies (involving machines I am not familiar with and won’t speculate on the uses or names), and many offices; communications, accounting, etc.

The communications department was working on a promo video for the quad rugby team, working off the “quad rugby is a virus taking over people in wheelchairs all over the world…!” theme. The team needed a panicked reporter to announce the spreading of the virus as well as the winner of the recent tournament in Rio de Janeiro (out of Argentina, the US, Colombia, Venezuela, the UK, and Brazil).  The UK took home the trophy, but the communications team and Fundación Arcángeles founder Juan Pablo Salazar wanted me to present the winner with excitement.  When the video is edited, it will be put on youtube and they’ll notify me.  It was quite fun recording my voice for the video, but also embarrassing to hear my voice played back over and over.  My face was very red at the end of it all.

Juan Pablo plans to add on to this space.  He wants to create a daycare for children with disabilities and a greenhouse that people can work on in order to improve mobility and dexterity.  As he, Jairo, and Fundación Arcángeles’ architect discussed how to make a convention center in Cartagena accessible for an upcoming meeting, Juan Pablo’s enthusiasm began to emerge.  He really began to glow as he showed Juliette and I around the facilities.  But, I think I noticed the most energy and spark when he and Jairo discussed some of Survivor Corps’ main principles and programs.  Juan Pablo commented “super chevere” (super cool) to many of Jairo’s summaries of programs as well as Jerry’s 5 steps to overcoming a life crisis. Juan Pablo remembered Survivor Corps founder Jerry White from a meeting three years ago and you could see links being made in Juan Pablo’s brain.  One thing is for sure: I think from the little I know Jerry White (from the meeting with him before I left for Colombia) and the little I know Juan Pablo, that they share a certain fire and vitality.  They should meet again.