From riches to rags… A migrant’s battle for survival

May 31, 2020 Features / Columnists, News

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By Shervin Belgrave

“Hello…Hello, is this the place I once called home? To think of what it has become to make me flee to paths unknown…” Those were the words of a migrant, a young Venezuelan, who opted to migrate to Guyana. He is 26-year-old Oscar Antonio Salazar Vlandin.
Oscar is the second of two sons born to Oscar and Roraima Vlandin de Salazar on October 5, 1993.
He is what Venezuelans consider to be a “revolutionary child” simply because he was born in the era when the late Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez Frias, begun his so-called “rebelde” revolution to overthrow the then President, Carlos Andres Perez.

Unlike his parents, Oscar was born at a time when the poor and middle-class Venezuelans had just begun to reap the benefits of their country’s oil wealth.
Growing up in a neighbourhood on Spanish Avenue, Bolivar City, Oscar recalled his childhood days as one of the “greatest” periods of his life.
He revealed that even though his family was not classified as one of the wealthiest, he had never experienced poverty while growing up.
As a child, Oscar said, “I had and enjoyed all the luxuries just like a rich kid.”
His parents could have afforded him the best clothes, latest gadgets and the most expensive toys. He even studied at the best and highly respected private schools of the Bolivarian City.
“The streets were safe, there was nothing to be afraid of; no thieves, no violent gangs and people had enough to eat. During my boyhood days I considered Venezuela to be a paradise, a place where many would not wish to leave,” he recalled.
After completing his secondary education at the Educative Academy of Joyful Faith, he was sent to pursue a degree in Chemistry at the National Experimental Sciences University of the armed forces.
A LIVING NIGHTMARE
At the age of 20, Oscar graduated with outstanding grades and got a chemist job at a factory, preparing a wide range of cleaning detergents. But little did Oscar know that his dream-like life was about to turn into a living nightmare.
It all began with big companies filing for bankruptcy and the closure of major factories. In just a matter of months basic items started disappearing and millions of workers were laid off. Oscar’s father and elder brother were among the first wave of thousands to be laid off. Still employed, he was forced to become the sole breadwinner for his family.

But things were about to turn from bad to worse when a super inflation hit Venezuela and even more persons were left jobless. This time around Oscar wasn’t spared. He was one among thousands of people dismissed from lucrative jobs. Without a source of income, life became extremely difficult for Oscar and his family. The young man and his brother were forced to do odd jobs in the streets just to survive. It was now a battle of survival and Oscar did everything he possibly could to earn a dollar. He used his skills to produce homemade detergents, but this was in vain since no one had money to buy them. Despite his struggles, he continued to battle on.
He soon found a job as a truck driver transporting heavy duty machineries. However, as the days went by his salary became so worthless that it couldn’t even purchase a week’s ration for his family.
NO PLACE TO RAISE A CHILD
He became frustrated, depressed and totally clueless of his next move. It was during one of these depressing moments that Oscar happened to be window shopping at a clothing store and met a young lady called Elizabeth Espana. Stricken by her beauty, Oscar decided to ask her out on a date. The two became friends and quickly fell in love. For Oscar, Elizabeth sparked a new ray of hope in his life. Elizabeth had plans of leaving Venezuela to seek greener pastures. She shared her plan with Oscar. But Oscar was reluctant to leave; he loved his country and was very patriotic. In fact, he was quite fearful of leaving his parents behind and venturing out to some unknown place.

Nevertheless, the couple continued their relationship and Elizabeth eventually became pregnant. With a child on the way, Oscar began to reconsider his decision about staying in Venezuela. His country’s economy was dying daily; the once safe streets became a haven for violent criminals. Teenagers were forced to become thieves and killers, and children around the country were dying of starvation. This hell-like environment was not a place he wanted his child to be nurtured in. He desired the same luxurious life he once had for his unborn child. He soon gave in to Elizabeth’s plan to flee their homeland. But where would they run to? To his surprise Elizabeth already had a place already in mind. She dreamt of joining a relative who had migrated earlier to a neighbouring country called Guyana. Elizabeth had never visited Guyana before but managed to give a vivid description of this “heaven-like” country convincing Oscar that it was the perfect place to go.
ESCAPING THE CRISIS
Oscar soon started saving every extra cent he earned towards his and Elizabeth’s migration plan. On December 28, 2018 Elizabeth gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and by early January of the following year Oscar had raised enough money to escape his country’s economic crisis. Before Oscar began his journey to the unknown country, he told his parents that he was going to a “land flowing with milk, honey and dollars”. He also promised that he’d support them with “verdes” (referring to US currency).

Before he left home his mother gave him her blessings and wished him luck as part of a cultural Catholic tradition practiced by almost all Venezuelans. Oscar and his family travelled two days by bus to a small Amerindian Village called San Martin. He then crossed over the Cuyuni River with his wife and newborn son to Eteringbang, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). There they spent the night at a hotel and on the following day were able to obtain documents granting them an initial three- month stay in Guyana. The very next day, with documents in hand, they boarded a Trans Guyana Flight at the Eteringbang airstrip to Georgetown. With open arms, Elizabeth’s relative welcomed them when they landed at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle. The relative transported them to her residence at Agriculture Road, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.
But the first few hours in Guyana started to frustrate Oscar. He did not understand a word spoken to him. His mind became filled with tons of negative questions. “Will I ever be able to adapt? How will I find a job being unable to understand or speak English?”
Nevertheless, with help from Elizabeth’s relative, Oscar was able to find a job as a labourer with a local construction company. Without any experience in construction work, and also being unable to speak the language, the first few months were understandably challenging for Oscar.

“My bosses would often become annoyed at the fact that I did not understand a word they were saying. They would give me instructions and specific tasks to do but because of the language barrier I would do something totally contrary. This aggravated my superiors so much that they would give me a serious cussing sometimes,” Oscar shared.
Sometimes giving up would cross Oscar’s mind, but he could not afford to give up just yet. After all, he had a son and a wife depending on him in a strange land. He had also promised to send home some “US” to his parents. He was left with no other option but to battle on and made it his priority to master the English language.
ANSWERED PRAYER
As fate would have it, back then this writer was also employed at the same construction company and was given the opportunity to work alongside Oscar building a boat house for an organisation.
When Oscar learnt that a bilingual individual would accompany him on the project, he was overjoyed. In fact, Oscar confided, “it was if God had answered my prayer directly by sending me an English teacher.”
Not only was I able to teach Oscar “sufficient English” but I had the opportunity to witness first-hand the day-to-day struggles of a migrant fighting to survive in a foreign country.
There were times when Oscar sat alone with tears in his eyes during lunch breaks. Out of curiosity I would go over and ask him to share his thoughts. Oscar would often say “bro I am home-sick, and I miss my parents”. On other occasions he would just sit and reminisce on the good times, the times when Venezuela was not poverty-stricken.
Each day as we toiled under the heat of the sun, carrying heavy planks and performing dangerous acrobatic stunts on seemingly thin rafters, stretching across the Demerara River, Oscar would share something different of about his life.
His stories intrigued me daily. But what I admire most about him was his ability to remain calm under pressure even when harsh words were hurled his way for simple errors.
There were days when his feet would tremble while walking along narrow planks. His fear of heights was quite noticeable. Nevertheless, he kept on going and would often say “Hermano (brother), if I fall and die please assist me by watching over my family.” Giggling I’d reply, “bro I will do my best, but I’m sure you won’t die just yet”.
INABILITY TO WASTE
He thought me many lessons, some indirectly, during the short period we shared, but the most memorable, was never to waste food. Oscar would become extremely angry with colleagues when they would nibble a portion of their meal and discard the rest.
In fact, one day I even witnessed Oscar becoming very emotional after he opened his lunch bowl and discovered that his meal had spoiled. Sobbing over this, at first, seemed humorous but it was his response that made me realize how fortunate and blessed many of us are. Oscar explained to me that there were days and nights when he had nothing to eat. Trying to sleep with hunger, Oscar said, is an experience worse than being tortured.
As such, for him, to waste food, even when spoiled, is a painful act. He noted too that many of his countrymen would kill each other just for a small portion of discarded food.
Oscar didn’t ask for the hand that life dealt him, but nowadays he certainly has an appreciation for the maxim “who feels it, knows it”.
Despite not being able to buy new clothes, shoes or other things that many tend to waste money on, Oscar continues to work six days a week as a labourer from sunrise to sundown just to provide for his wife, son, and parents left behind in a country drowning in poverty.
His life is a perfect example of someone falling from grace– an educated young man who once dressed for work in lab coats and fancy tuxedoes, but now travels daily in rags to various construction sites across Guyana slaving to make ends meet.
This is just one of the many stories told by the thousands who have fled Venezuela just to escape the jaws of poverty. Each day thousands more seek to cross the borders into neighbouring countries seeking just enough wherewithal to aid their survival. Many are unable to find decent jobs and instead turn to prostitution, drugs and even crime. It’s a daily battle for these unlucky migrants, many of whom, like Oscar, once had it all.

 

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