Remember Suso? “Filthy Suso” is a 78 year old garbage collector in San Javier La Loma, a hillside working class community on the outskirts of Medellín. Some of the local citizen journalists of the Rising Voices Grantee Hiperbarrio wrote about him and produced a documentary [es] which brought the community's attention on him.

They found ways to raise money to repair his dilapidated shelter. Catalina Restrepo writes an update on Suso[es]:

On February 6 this year the community began construction of a new home for Don Manuel Pizarro Sierra (Suso) on the piece of land he lived for 75 years.

Suso being cared by a community member

Suso's old house

Suso's new house built by the community

ConVerGentes, the San Javier La Loma-based group of young citizen journalists who form part of HiperBarrio is proudly continuing with their outreach efforts and social activities.

On August 23 Blueandtanit taught some of the members of ConVerGentes how to make panorama pictures and Geo-positioning in a local library in Medellin. Here is an example of their work:

“Panaroma of La Loma by night” Photo Courtesy: Blueandtanit

Bloggers fighting WordPress ban

Alvaro Ramirez Ospina reports that about 20 students of Professor Jose Alberto used to connect to the Internet via the public computers of Biblioteca Departamental “Olegario Rivera” of Neiva. But on August 21, 2008 they were surprised to find that the access to their blogs hosted on WordPress had been blocked by order of the Governor of Huila.

Apparently the Governor sees blogging as a dangerous thing and some of the library staffs advised that if the public want to continue using this public space, they must use other Web tools.

Alvaro promotes a petition by Professor Jose Alberto and some bloggers to the Governor of Huila to unblock WordPress in the above mentioned library. Lots of other bloggers joined their cause.

Blogging Contest

ConVerGentes arranged a micro-contest to stimulate the activity of the community blog. Some of the bloggers started to write literary stuffs. Four of the participants, Akhenaten, Camela, Diego Magno and Ligeia have begun to write a novel titled Never is Enough.

Deneiber Bureau writes “I've been a little over 12 months without attending a family reunion and this worries me!”

“Secured in a small wooden box wrapped in a red ribbon, I have decided to give a word.” writes Diego Ospina.

Catalina writes about the absence of public space, and “sidewalks” in La Loma that makes it impossible to walk.

Please check the blogrolls of Hiperbarrio and ConVerGentes for more articles.