Shadows of Privilege: Reflections from Ecuador

Shadows of Privilege

Quito, 10th of April 2022

How come I get lucky and have a life like that and some don't, how come Europe is that developed and Ecuador isn't? These are questions that came to my head whilst traveling in Ecuador.

On the way I saw huts with poor families and small kids, these kids will never make a name for themselves, I know this is a privileged white man saying this with international background, I could never live like this with knowing I was born in a small village and work there and never ever make it out of this place.

It feels wrong listening to European music while driving through the landscapes and always thinking these people will never experience the same thing I will.. Maybe that is what makes the world turn, people living better off than others, I would say that I enjoy and encourage capitalist ideas, for example, that every person is the cause for their own fortune.. but seeing this it shakes my belief... and I don't know what to believe and to think...

The other question is why Ecuador and especially the normal people in Ecuador are poor. People that have had a good life in a middle upper class family can have an extraordinarily great life, but what about all the other people. Is it because of the politics in that country or just about the lifestyle of the people in Ecuador? I believe that this question is hard to answer, as it's not right to generalize a whole country. Generalizing can be a dangerous tool for populism as it suggests that all people in a country or group are the same. This is just plain wrong, it's the same thing if you say all Germans are Nazis or all Americans a overweight and ignorant. You see that just by using two easy examples how this is wrong. That is why you can't use a certain lifestyle as an easy excuse to a very complex question. The logically following point would be to explore the definition of Ecuadorian lifestyle and that is merely impossible.

It feels unfair to drive through these streets and to see what you see, don't even get me started on how Venezuelan refugees rent, yes literally rent, children of other families to wake the kindness and pity of people to get them to give them some change... how is this in any world ok to rent a child for your own profit. This kid won't even see that money, they are lost. Forever.

It feels unfair even though it's not... My parents worked extremely hard to be able to afford the lifestyle we have. They worked hard to give us the opportunity to grow to be the people we choose to be. Maybe the key thing is that these people here in Ecuador work and live to survive and I got lucky to live to live. I know this is an odd wording but there is no better way to explain this.

Something that could also be interesting to know, and this will sound harsh, but do these people enjoy how they are living? Are they unhappy? I would argue that they are not unhappy but also not happy. Meaning that if they were actually that unhappy they would do something to better their life. Is that too harsh to say, I don't know, and I will have the chance to know as I won't ever have the chance to relate to them.. Or maybe they don't know better, maybe they think that this actually is how life is.. but I don't see how that is possible, many of them have phones which could indicate that they have internet which suggests that these people know what life outside their village looks like. so this argument is not valid. Are they manipulated by their parents and grandparents telling them that living in the big city is terrible because it's filled with drugs, crime and that it would be a sin to leave your family behind in the pursuit to live better and to give your children a better life? But that would completely destroy their Lifes and this would completely go against the instinct of self-growth.

Many people have already left their villages to try to make a living in the big cities. Quito, the capital, has 3 Million citizens and Guayaquil, a big city on the coast also has 3 Million citizens. Ecuador alone has 17 Million citizens which means that und half the Ecuador's population live in the big cities. Then why aren't more people moving? Don't they have the capability to move? But what to you need? A car, a full tank of gas, money and clothes. They will have some money as they can buy a phone, food and shoes, so what is stopping them?

Why don't the locals help? This is a great question which came to my mind after seeing all these guests staying here and eating the food. I can say with confidence that no one, not even one person does anything for the people out there. You might argue that the people here pay taxes, but you better believe that the taxes here are not used for these people, matter of fact, not used for the important social responsibilities the state has. In 6th grade I was given the opportunity to visit el "Colegio Aleman Quito".

These students here learn with German teachers Germans which gives them the opportunity to learn good a second language. Apparently in 6th grade the students go out to help in Daycares. This gives them the ability to learn how to manage kids and to see how other families live. This was a great experience for me, as it not only taught me how hard the job of daycaring is but also the fact how other people live. For me l, it was a great opportunity to learn, but when hearing the stories of some of these small kids you understand how important it is to further encourage some sort of government spending for children. This has to be one of the top priorities as Children are the future of our world.

Aren't they educated enough to think critical and understand that they can make something of themselves? I can't judge that really, while driving though the villages I see schools, now the question is do these kids and people go to school? or are they forced to work for their family from a young age on? After doing some research on this interesting matter, it turns out that there are public schools that are not free, but apparently come with a low cost which is not a big financial burden. Now what does "not a big financial burden" mean? What scale is used? Is it a big financial burden for the poor people or not?

Do people here cherish family and living together more than making something for themselves?

Ecuador is rich in fruits, coffee, chocolate, and oil, and has extremely fertile land. Why can't they be "intelligent" and sell it with profit. My mom says that it's the politics that destroyed the country by imposing laws and taxes. I know that ecuador can grow and make a new and better name for themselves than "Chiquita Banana Land"

All these questions that are breaking my head and heart and all I really und surely know is that I am devastated with these pictures I have now in my head. Is it naive to say that by studying law I can acutely change something in the world? I do think so, because in the end I only see myself working to enable a good life for myself and for my family. Which leads back to the selfishness of people and how to the animal instinct to care for yourself and your family.

We are being driven by a private chauffeur from Quito to an enclosed hotel on the coast, and I am supposed to feel good? The problem is that I will, as soon as I see the beach I will have suppressed and sadly forgotten these people. My aunt and my grandma were telling me how great this place is and how you can eat anything you want and how much you want. But how can I feel good, knowing that 5 minutes away from the hotel there is a family that knows that they don't have the privileges to eat what the want.

After arriving in this hotel it seems that everyone here can just ignore the fact that there is extreme poverty just right around the corner. You get the impression that the people here do everything to cover up the fact that this is quite a poor area. The way they cover up is by constantly cleaning the walkways, having entertainers sing, dance, clap, jump, just to get a quick laugh out of you. The other way is by completely showering you with apparent good things, stuffing you with food until you vomit, filling you up with all sorts of drinks, juices and cocktails, and by giving a huge variety of activities. I think this should give you the idea that you are in heaven surrounded by pain and suffering which is cleverly hidden away from the guests with walls and security.

I know this sounds very two-faced. Criticizing the very thing I am staying, eating at, drinking at, and plainly using all their facilities. This is just encouraging these resorts and giving them money indirectly saying that you are supporting this. I would have never stayed here if it would have been my choice, but the fact that I have not seen my grandparents for 4 years, who have been a very big part of my life, overshadows the fact this "over-consumption fiesta". And refusing to spend the little time I have with them would just be a sin.

Maybe this is the reason why I never feel at home here and only as a tourist even though a big part of my identity is Ecuadorian. Even Though telling my mom that I would really like to know how it's actually like to live in Ecuador, I don't think that I would be able to actually live here. For that I was raised too soft, too safe, too lucky to be able to have an accomplished life here.

But this small gathering of questions are worthless, disregarding the fact that I am studying law, how can I, a mere writer, change anything in this big wide world?