Nicolasa Zerán
Meet Nicolasa. Her national ID claims she is 51 but she could really be 52. She doesn’t exactly know in what year her April 12 birthday falls and so, she chose the later for the record. She can, however, recount spending the last 25 years selling strawberries and other fruit on the same corner, of the same market, for ten hours of everyday. A native of Potosí, Nicolasa moved with her mother when she was eight years old to the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra where a bigger economy and better work awaited. She’s pretty much been here ever since. And though the market is all she knows, Nicolasa’s weathered face and chapped hands keep her dreaming of the chance to trade her wheelbarrow for a proper shop, to own a car, and to move her six children, the youngest of which is 12, out of their shared home and into one she can call her own.
“But what am I going to do? I work to eat and to live today. Y eso es.”
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Conozca a Nicolasa. Su carnet dice que ella tiene 51 años, pero realmente ella podría tener 52. No sabe exactamente en qué año cae su cumpleaños de 12 de abril y por eso decidió por ser más joven para el registro. Sin embargo, ella puede contar los últimos 25 años que han pasado vendiendo frutillas y otras frutas en la misma esquina, del mismo mercado, por diez horas de todos los días. Nativa de Potosí, Nicolasa se mudó con su madre cuando tenía ocho años a la ciudad de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, donde las esperaban una economía más grande y mejor trabajo. Se ha quedado aquí desde entonces. Y aunque el mercado es todo lo que sabe, Nicolasa con su cara desgastada y las manos agrietadas mantiene su sueño de la oportunidad de cambiar su carretilla por una tienda apropiada, ser dueña de un auto, y mudar a sus seis hijos, de los cuales el menor tiene 12 años, de su vivienda común a una que pueda llamar suya.
“Pero ¿qué voy a hacer? Yo trabajo para comer y vivir hoy. Y eso es.”
Love that project Jessica! Can’t wait to see more of it:)
Thank you, Danuta!! More coming soon!
Really love these stories! I see many women like Nicolasa Zerán, working so hard in the streets and at the markets in Sucre…they look older beyond their years. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about micro loans or something similar to give these ladies a chance to improve their circumstances (e.g. “the chance to trade her wheelbarrow for a proper shop”). Look forward to your next ‘I am Bolivia’ 🙂
Thank you so much, Brigid! I’m glad you’re enjoying these stories and I hope to do some in Sucre when I make it out there in March! Sometimes it’s hard to hear so many repeat struggles from the streets as there many deserving and hard working people that would benefit from some sort of gentle push in the right direction. Would love to chat more with you, keep in touch!
Great story. It’s sad there are so many good people living this way in Bolivia