Voluntary Work (The Manifesto) written by Mongolita

“C’mon it's time to get up, girl” called out mum.  

I didn't want to get up, it was Sunday and I wanted to sleep a bit more. However, I was conscious that my help was needed. The camaraderie that existed amongst us, the youngsters, was divine. It was fun to get together with my friends for a good cause. 

I jumped out of bed, had a quick wash, got dressed while mum prepared breakfast. I had just finished having breakfast when I heard the horn of the van bip to let me know they were outside, waiting.  

Every Sunday, about 6.30 in the morning, the van would collect fifteen of us young volunteers. We never knew what kind of voluntary work we would be doing, until the day we were picked up. 

Let me tell you briefly, about the period of 1970-1973 when I lived in Chile. Despite the opposition intending on several occasions to intervene during the elections, which were supported by the USA, Salvador Allende succeeded. He was the first socialist President ever to be elected democratically.   

The Unidad Popular - U.P for short, (Popular Unity) which was led by Allende, was a coalition of all the left wing parties including the Communist and Socialist Parties (some people called it a ‘leftist coalition’). The Manifesto were a series of radical reforms in favour of the oppressed class, focussed on Free Education, Health and Housing for all.

Salvador Allende’s government faced many obstacles on the way to achieve what was written in The Manifesto. 

The horrific earthquake of 1970 after Allende was elected, was devastating. The worst affected areas were in the poorest parts of the country, such as Valparaiso, at the top of the ‘CERROS’. The U.P quickly organised ‘the masses’ to help those affected places. The help involved to clear debris, rebuild houses, and take food to those people who lived in Los Cerros of Valparaiso. Therefore, the youth from the left wing parties played an important role to rebuild Chile. 

In October 1972 because of the economic unrest “The Truckers” went on strike, stopping food from being delivered, crippling the country. Consequently, food such as fruit and vegetables were rotting in the fields.  

Once more the working class were suffering the consequences provoked by the right wing “upper class” opposition. The upper class could afford to pay the exorbitant prices for food that was being sold on the “black market”.

It was during these times that we, the youth, did voluntary work in the fields to harvest the fruit and vegetables. We would place them in boxes and deliver them to the shops. The bags of flour were also loaded on to the lorries that didn't join the strike.

I remember this particular day, our help was needed to collect bags of flour from the warehouse to distribute to the bakeries in Los Cerros. It was a weekday, we didn't have lessons in our schools as the teachers also joined the strike. We were in the van, singing the famous song “No, no, no nos moveran” which translates: “We shall not be moved” and other progressist songs. We had a brilliant time, and enjoyed it so much. When we arrived at our destination, we started to load the bags of flour onto the lorries. By the end of the day, we were tired and aching and our bodies were white from head to toe covered with flour dust. We laughed so much to see the state of us but we didn't care, we knew the flour had reached its destination for bakers to make bread for the villagers. 

This wonderful experience as a fourteen year old girl would remain in my memory for as long as I live.