Jesus, son of riders #PlaymobilRiders

 

Joseph and Mary have arrived in the city. They spent months confined in a center in the Canary Islands. Their stay kept being extended due to the incompetence and inhumanity of political parties and the constant squabbling among them.

Finding housing in the city is impossible, and even more so for undocumented migrants. With nowhere to live and no work, they have ended up living and sleeping outdoors, in a park. Their university studies and professional training have been of no use. They have not been able to register as residents because many city councils put up numerous obstacles. They have no papers, but they want to work. And Mary is pregnant.

They were offered work as delivery riders and said yes. They are willing to do anything to live with dignity, and this is one of the few options they can cling to. Because they have no papers, they must work using another rider’s license. Mary found a woman who lets her use her authorization for free, but Joseph has only managed to get a license from a young man, to whom he will have to pay a percentage of everything he earns.

They were lent one bicycle and bought another very cheap one on Wallapop. They also had to buy the equipment, since the company does not even provide the backpack. The bicycles are not electric and, therefore, they are at a disadvantage compared to other colleagues. They do an exhausting number of deliveries, because to earn even a minimum income they need to work many hours and be lucky. Occasional tips allow them to have some extra income and survive.

The day of the birth is approaching, but both continue working. Mary does fewer deliveries because everything is much harder for her. Joseph makes up for it by working more hours.

At midnight, Mary went into labor. They called an ambulance, but because the park where they sleep is closed, medical services could not reach them. She gave birth with the help of everyone sleeping there. Everyone sprang into action and, throughout the night, accompanied them and offered and provided whatever help they could.

Early in the morning, when the park opened, they were able to take them to a hospital, and after a medical examination, both were discharged: mother and son.

The news spread throughout the rider world, across the entire city through radio and newspapers. Their colleagues managed to find them a room where they could stay for a few months. Thanks to the news, many people learned more about the work of riders and, now that they know the conditions under which they work, most customers treat them better. As a knock-on effect, the government, seeing the public reaction, was forced not to make resident registration so difficult.

Finally, on January 6th they were allowed to register as residents. On the same date, Parliament approved an amendment to the immigration law that speeds up the regularization of undocumented people so they can work and live with dignity. Coinciding with this, rider companies took a first step and decided to provide all delivery workers with the minimum equipment needed to work.

The child was named Jesus.

From Bethlehem, for TV Bethlehem, Laia Bonet