Sunday, April 8, 2012

photos from 2011 caravan

I- 5 bus

orientation


fixing the bus

security



press conference

border crossing training


through Mexico

The first event in Havana is the graduation of the Latin American School of Medicine.  American students from poor families can study medicine for free with students from many other countries.  After graduation they return to the US to practice in
"underserved areas." ELAM graduate with Tom Smith


ELAM graduates

diploma!
doctoras
Childrens' theater La Colmenita in Havana

El Malagon - veteran of one of the first organized militias in Cuba

In Pinar del Rio, we stayed in a rural church

Dancing in Pinar

Being short of sleep can be the hardest part of the Caravan


Luis Barrios, now one of the Co-leaders of IFCO, with Cuban translators

We met with the local chapter of the Cuban Women's Federation.  Maria Estrella is the oldest member.

We asked the group of women, "What do you you do if a man is hitting his wife?"  "Well," they said, "We ALL go to their house..."
They said that Cuban men have changed greatly in the past 10 or 15 years and that now there are many men who help with household tasks, cooking, and children

Pinar is full of limestone cliffs and caves

Anayanci is the head of the local Young Communists.  She was puzzled by our lack of a young communist section but spent time with our group anyway.

Water buffalo are less likely to need unavailable spare parts than tractors are.  Anayanci does not normally ride them; I dared her.


The meat eating table

the vegetarian/vegan table
On our return to Havana, we attended a racism conference and cultural event at the African Museum
The whole world owes a debt to Africa and only Cuba has begun to pay back.  The apartheid government could have lasted many years more without for Cuban help in defeating South African mercenaries in Angola.

Eleggua abre el camino

Lucius Walker's plaque was added to this monument just below Harriet Tubman's.



A caravanista fell, struck his head and had a seizure.  He was taken to Cira Garcia Hospital, where blood work, head CT, EKG, Neurologist exam (on a Saturday) and medications were given.  The cost was $0.00.

Improved after treatment.  Ojore asked me to translate to the hospital staff his exact words,  "Thank you, thank, thank you a million times.  There is no way a poor Black man could get this kind of treatment in the United States."

We prepare to cross the border back into the US, and the border officials prepare for us.  P4P means Pastors for Peace, of course.


A number of computers were confiscated on leaving the US this year and last year also.   This year they were returned to us on re-entering, since we can't take them to Cuba, and after all they ARE ours.

But we carried them all across the International Bridge into Mexico, where our Mexican companeros drove them to Tampico in time to join the rest of the aid shipment.