By John Din

Since we arrived in Bainopolis, the parish of Padre Donaldo Hornsey situated in Bahia, we always visit the small communities or barrios. They are very alive and full of hope especially during the fiestas with songs and dances that reflect their struggle as Indios, descendants of African slaves, poor and abandoned peasants.

Calloused Hands

During the fiestas in one of the barrios called Agua-Boa-Good Water-I meet Saturnino Souza a peasant farmer. I was to take a rest under the shade of a mango tree when I saw Saturnino standing near the ‘carro de boi’ a car pulled by two cows. I noticed that he was very interested to talk to me because I was a stranger. I approached him and started the conversations with my few Portuguese words. He narrated to me how life is in the campo and in the Roca (a cultivated land). He is a farmer. Then he showed to me his two calloused hands, a sign of a hardworking man. When I held his hands I thought “these hands tell a story – a moving story.” Saturnino is analfabetizado, illiterate in the sense that he cannot read or write. But he can read the signs of nature necessary for farming and he has a way of communicating and telling a person like me how hard he works, by showing the callouses on his hands.

No Doctor

Saturnino continued: “Many ninguen quer trabalhar na roca.” (Nobody would like to work in the farm.) The road here is had and very dusty and its very far from the cities. You have to travel for many hours to reach here. There is no doctor here. Whenever we are sick we have to bring them to a nearby town but there’s no regular transportation trucks and when we arrive in the town they also do not have doctors.

No Electricity

There is no electricity here and the problem is worse when the drought is severe. Right now we are dividing the supply of water for our farms to grow rice or beans. Many families are leaving the countryside especially the youth to wander in big cities like Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro or Brasilia in search of jobs and to study. Many settle down in the ‘favella’ which is the squatters area. Some would like to work in the offices holding a ballpen instead of a hoe.

Life is Quiet

He paused for a while and continued “But I like to work in the farm. This is the place where I was born and I love this place. The life here is quiet and the going is slow but I know I can survive with the little piece of land I have.”

We Too Must Choose

I was deeply touched by this choice of Saturnino to stay in the camp and work on the land since we lay missionaries are also preparing to make a choice whether to work in a city like Salvador or in the rural areas. I believed the choice of Saturnino and his wife is a choice for life not only for his family but for all the Brazilians.