Christmas 2018: My vision of Christmas

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Jesus the son of a Kelly called Maria

Merry Christmas! Every year I make a manger that is my interpretation of where Jesus would have been born if he had been born that same year 2018.
This year I imagined that Jesus was born a son of a "kelly" in the room of the cleaning of a great hotel. I hope you like it and help you see what Christmas represents.
I have made a lively video of the manger with the narration. Here's the video of the manger and then you will find the text.

vídeo: http://bit.ly/Nadal18PessebreYTB

We connect now with the mobile unit. Laia Bonet from the Hotel Betlem:

Today, the Hotel Betlem has witnessed an unexpected event. Maria, one of the room-cleaning workers, commonly known as "Kellys", was working despite her advanced state of gestation. She, like all others, has virtually no labor rights and earns a miserable salary. Everyone knows that if they stop working or take a single day off they will be dismissed in all likelihood.

Maria arrived last March from Ecuador looking for a better future for her family. A few months ago, a person dressed in white announced that she was pregnant and she was amazed. She did not expect it, but she accepted the situation and decided to face it. Her husband, knowing it, made every effort to come but did not get the visa.

Today, Maria felt ill when she was working. He had childbirth pain and gave birth to her first child in the cleaning room of the same hotel with the help of three of her "Kellys" colleagues, one of whom, coincidentally, worked as midwife in her country.

The rest of the cleaning and service staff have just approached the birth of the child. For the WhatsApp group of the "Kellys", the news and photos of the baby have spread very quickly. Now more and more colleagues and friends are arriving to the hotel, , after finishing their workday at hotels, offices and private homes. A friend has made a WhatsApp video call to the baby's father in Ecuador, so he could meet his son and talk with his mother. The people have brought clothes, diapers and cleaning products for the baby in support, because "if they touch one of us, they touch all of us!", as they say.

Journalists have gathered at the hotel, where the management initially did not let them in, knowing the conditions in which the women work. However, they subsequently facilitated their work and also announced that they would let Maria stay two days in one of the rooms. They even brought food out of the restaurant.

This change of attitude has made people think that this child could be the savior and the mother has named him Jesus, which means "the savior."























In the street hundreds of colleagues and friends are demonstrating in support and demanding fair conditions for the sector in which they work, a fixed and stable contract, not being externalized,, a humane treatment and the same labour rights than other workers. They are also gathering financial support to pay Maria's days off because their type of contract does not cover them.

The city has mobilized for the fact itself, but especially for the conditions with which these women work, especially in the hotel sector.

We do not know what will happen after December 28th when all this media boom has passed and we won’t talk again about these victims of our system, that systematically forgets all the caring work. Even so, today it has been announced that on January 6th three authorities will visit Maria: the representative of the hotel employers, that of the unions and the mayor of the city. It is not ruled out that they decide to definitively address this fact and do what it takes to ensure that these women and all those who work invisibly for the comfort of the whole society have decent wages, fair working conditions and a humane and dignified treatment.

VIDEO: http://bit.ly/Nadal18PessebreYTB
PHOTOS:  - Facebook Album:   http://bit.ly/FBNadal18FotosPessebre or
               - GooglePhotos:       http://bit.ly/GFNadal18FotosPessebre

Christmas 2017: My vision of Christmas

Jesus, son of "manters"*

Merry Christmas! Every year I make a nativity scene that is my interpretation of where Jesus would have been born if he had been born that same year 2017. This year I imagined that he was born "manter"*. It could be in many cities where people like them try to survive often, with the only thing they can do, because of their legal situation. But I have set it up in Barcelona and I wanted to have a reminder for the terrorist attack this summer. Playmobil's children, as always, have shaped ideas. I hope you like it and help you see what Christmas represents. Video this year is a lively video. Here is the chronicle and also the video of the manger.

And now, let’s connect with our mobile unit in Les Rambles

Today, Les Rambles witnessed an unexpected event. After running away from the police, the “manters”* took shelter in the subway, as usual, as they cannot be detained inside the subway premises.
A young couple from the “manters” group were expecting a baby. After running away, she felt bad just as she entered the subway. She started suffering labor pain and she gave birth to their first child with the help of a midwife who accidentally was leaving the subway.

The remaining “manters” who were hiding with them from the police, approached the place where she gave birth. Through their WhatsApp group, the news have spread, and other “manters” are coming from both the port and the store of their own brand "top Manta". The news have also come to the support group "Tras La Manta" which is already in the place of the events. They have warned the press, and we are also reaching the place.

With the small amount of money they collected that day, they have bought the mother food and garments to wrap the baby that rests on a blanket.
In seeing the solidarity and the crowd gathering around, the police decided to stay apart and not to intervene.
Around the entrance of the subway, people are crowding in. Ordinary citizens are also approaching and bringing things. Others are coming from the mosaic of Miró and said, with deep feelings, that the same Rambla that had known the dead some months ago, it was now showing life at its best.

Voice is spreading and people are looking for a suitable home for the new family. We have been told they have already been offered a flat and tomorrow they will be able to move there.

Everyone is happy and Les Rambles is full of people. So crowded that it looks like when the Barça wins! The “manters” keep on selling their stuff. Among them, they say that this child is his Savior. The newborn child already wears a pair of Nike shoes, a Barça T-shirt and sunglasses.

The authorities, seeing the citizens' response, have decided to deal once and for all with the situation of the “manters” and committed themselves to find a solution for January 6th. The mayor who has come to see the newborn has also reaffirmed this decision.

From Les Rambles, Laia Bonet for TVBetlem.

VIDEO:  http://bit.ly/Nadal17PessebreVIDEO
FOTOS:  - http://bit.ly/FBNadal17FotosPessebre o
             - http://bit.ly/GFNadal17FotosPessebre

*Manter: Person usually sub-Saharan who is selling in the street in an illegal way because of lack of documentation that does not allow him to do a normal work