Trial by Fire
Minga Huasy Cumbay work party was held to fortify and then to test the roof of a home under construction. First there was a brigade formed to pass buckets of cement from the cement mixer up to the roof. Buckets of cement were passed along a line and then heaved up to a man on a platform who then heaved the cement up to a man on the roof who threw a bucketful to another worker to empty and return back to the mixer again. It was very hard work. After the cement was in place, the roof was tested by a unique method. A pair of swings was suspended from one of the roof beams, and a fire was...
Read MoreWhat’s a Minga?
Have you ever heard of a minga? A minga is an organized work project usually scheduled within an indigenous community in order to accomplish a job needed for the benefit of the community. All able bodied adults are expected to work and contribute their efforts for the good of the entire group. Here in Ecuador governments are not always able to fund special projects with in rural communities where most of the indigenous people live. The communities are very organized and each has its own president. From what I have seen, the communities are democratic and all adults have the right to...
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