When the night came, they looked like fireflies. There, before reaching the top of the hill, in the family group 2 de Noviembre at Las Flores, in San Juan de Lurigancho, the residents with could barely see the concrete stairs that led them to their houses. In order to not fall, they turned on the flashlights of their cell phones. They looked like fireflies.
For this reason, months ago, when the first row of lights was lit at 6:40 in the afternoon and the stairs that connect them to the nearest human settlement that already lighted lit up, the joy was unanimous. In reality, Barbin Racacha's satisfaction should have been greater, since as general secretary of the November 2 family group, he had achieved another of his goals. The latter, hand in hand with Enel.
The first settlers settled in this then rocky area in 2012. Three years later, in a communal assembly, they elected him as their representative. Barbin has done such a good job that he continues to be re-elected. Today there are 78 families who recognize it and, as a team, work towards progress.
His first victory was having achieved the registration of the November 2 family group. Thanks to this, each family is already the owner of their lot. The next step? The transformation of that rocky area.
Working hours were established. Women and men, as a team, were achieving it. Now they have a little field where adults and children play, as well as concrete stairs that facilitate access to their homes. Barbín got the water company to equip them with a basin from which they could obtain water. Of course, for it to reach homes, they needed to pump it. That is, they required access to electricity.
What did the secretary general do? Managed with Enel. The neighborhood group was soon visited by workers who dug holes and installed poles, also meters.
In the November 2 Family Grouping, there are no longer any fireflies. That afternoon, when the first row of luminaires came on, neighbors came out to their windows to see their stairs lit up. It was necessary to turn on others, completing the lighting process took about five minutes that were experienced with great joy. As they were quarantine days, there was not much fuss that could be made and the party was in each house. They shared selfies showing how everything looked from their homes.
"Some already wanted to go out onto the court with their ball!"
Barbín now has a new goal: to provide his community with water and sewage. Here, the development does not stop.