“Africa Mia”, a tourist plan with Esmeraldan roots
Ecuadornews:
This work carried out by women living in the sector of Nigeria, Isla Trinitaria, evokes the traditions, customs and roots of Afro-descendants in Guayaquil.
The Nigeria neighborhood, on the Isla Trinitaria , is stereotyped as a violent land where the law of the strongest predominates. Here 90% of its inhabitants are originally from the province of Esmeraldas.
This stigma is what seeks to change “Africa Mia”, a tourism project made up of Afro-Ecuadorian women who reside in this community. In this space in southern Guayaquil, Sonnia España has been working for more than 20 years in the Progressive Women’s Association, a community movement born of the need to end gender, intrafamily and discrimination violence.
The green-eyed Esmeralda activist recalls that they began in 1999 with 83 women who created a common box in which they contributed $ 0.25 per week. This was due to the lack of suitable access to bank loans.
In spite of the problems, the collection that was used in order to create loans for enterprises of the inhabitants of the sector was given. “Over the years the contribution of Afro represents a capital of $ 4,000,” says Sonnia.
The group was transformed into the Business Center for Women Entrepreneurs, and aims to take advantage of the skills of its members and thus leave the economic dependence of their husbands.
To start with the microcredits, the women carried out a community mapping that prevented the proliferation of similar businesses. The businesses diversified, among them the sale of mature cheese, handicrafts, manicure services, and others, which became the stores, bakeries and hairdressers in the neighborhood.
Up to 2015, 256 enterprises were created, as well as management workshops on the economy, self-esteem and leadership. This was achieved thanks to agreements with universities. The members of the group in this process also work on rescuing their ancestral roots as well as their Afro heroes: Alonso de Illescas, María Chiquinquirá, Juan Gracia, among others.
“The music that comes from the marimba, the songs and the dance are some of the cultural expressions of the Afro-Ecuadorian people and that is demonstrated by the Afromestizo Candente group,” says the promoter.
Unesco in 2015 declared these activities as intangible heritage of humanity. “We must understand that Afro, although we live with sadness, we live happy”, highlights España. This perseverance motivated them to continue promoting their ancestral roots in which the clothing, gastronomy, hairstyles, elaboration of handicrafts and other expressions of folklore stand out, all in the middle of tourist packages.
Social activities
España mentions that visitors make a walk through the Estero de los Muertos and Mogollón accompanied by local tourist guides that tell the story of the variety of names that the sector has identified as the Isla de los Condenados, Independencia II until get to Nigeria. The social activist stresses that so far they have visited more than 300 foreigners and have never had security problems.
Hosting their visitors and having their own canoes are aspirations that the women’s group hopes to supply, although for now – due to the scarce capital – they find it impossible to achieve. The walk includes songs, lullabies, stories, chigualo and legends that are based on his vision of the souls of the dead, a belief brought from Africa. This occurs as long as the drums, the pole, the songs of the women resound.
In the gastronomy, the tapao or the fish, shrimp, crab, among others stand out. These typical dishes are consumed daily by the inhabitants of this area. In this coastal town they are also prepared from plantains such as: patacones, empanadas, bolas and bolones de verde, etc. The cost of the tour package is $ 35 per person and starts from the Perimetral, where the tourist adventure offered by the Afro community of Guayaquil begins. (I)
Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/sociedad/6/africa-mia-plan-turistico-esmeraldas