Diamante is a small city in the province of Entre Rios, Argentina. Directly translated from Spanish, the word "Diamante" means "Diamond." If you were to gaze upon the town from a great distance, you couldn't help but think it is aptly named: tall, catholic cathedral spires stretch heavenward, creating a glinting contrast to the rolling brown grass of the surrounding flatland pampas. Venturing into the heart of the city's poor districts, however, will quickly change your mind. All similes of precious stones are laid aside as you are confronted with poverty, illness, and
hunger. A bearded man in a ragged shirt stares at you from his small cement porch, a bottle of beer poised on his knee. His flea-bitten dog whimpers as you walk past. A crowd of several barefoot children peer at you shyly from around the corner of the old soup kitchen. Were you to question them, you would discover that one has a mother with tuberculosis, one has been sexually abused by the bearded man, two haven't eaten since yesterday, and most of them have never been to school. This is Diamante.
Diamante is a small city in the province of Entre Rios, Argentina. Directly translated from Spanish, the word "Diamante" means "Diamond." If you were to gaze upon the town from a great distance, you couldn't help but think it is aptly named: tall, catholic cathedral spires stretch heavenward, creating a glinting contrast to the rolling brown grass of the surrounding flatland pampas. Venturing into the heart of the city's poor districts, however, will quickly change your mind. All similes of precious stones are laid aside as you are confronted with poverty, illness, and
hunger. A bearded man in a ragged shirt stares at you from his small cement porch, a bottle of beer poised on his knee. His flea-bitten dog whimpers as you walk past. A crowd of several barefoot children peer at you shyly from around the corner of the old soup kitchen. Were you to question them, you would discover that one has a mother with tuberculosis, one has been sexually abused by the bearded man, two haven't eaten since yesterday, and most of them have never been to school. This is Diamante.
No comments:
Post a Comment