As the 11-year-old
boy started shining Ernesto dos Santos Berges's black leather shoes, Berges
noticed the kid's sneakers—torn and tattered from walking several miles
a day through downtown Novo Hamburgo, in the southern state of Rio Grande
do Sul, Brazil.
"When you're
done shining my shoes," Berges said, "I'm going to take you across
the street and buy you a new pair."
Once he finishes
the right foot, Eliezer Santos Pereira taps the side of his wooden shoeshine
box twice to signal that it's time for Berges to switch feet. Eliezer first
brushes the shoe, then polishes with a cloth. Another two taps on the box,
and it's time to wipe the polish off the right shoe and brush off any excess.
He repeats this process with the left foot and collects his $1 real payment,
or about 30 cents.
Ten minutes later,
Eliezer proudly shows off his new shoes—gray, skater-style sneakers with
bright yellow accents. At R$ 50, or US$ 16, the shoes were a luxury he and
his mother could never have afforded on their own. To
supplement his family's small income, Eliezer has been working since he was
just 5 years old. He now works 12- to 14-hour days, and has not been to school
in almost a year.
"The man let
me pick out my favorite shoes I've wanted for a long time," said Eliezer,
grinning.
Up
with the Sun
Eliezer
begins most days before sunrise, sometimes catching the bus
for downtown before 6 a.m. The bus driver allows him to ride
for free, so Eliezer ducks under the turnstile and slides into
an empty aisle seat.
When he gets off the bus
downtown, his attitude changes. He is no longer a little boy—he is a
confident young man, tracing his daily route, working the streets like a pro.With
the heavy wooden box slung over his shoulder, Eliezer asks anyone and everyone
with leather shoes for a shine. Each shoeshine costs R$ 1, or about 30 cents,
and he does five to 10 shines a day.
All his shoeshine money
goes to his mother, Helena da Silva, except for a little change he saves for
video games or an occasional ice cream cone. Helena and her son together earn
R$ 200 a month, or US$ 67. That includes the money Helena earns washing clothes
and an extra R$ 50 Eliezer's father, a carpenter, sends each month to help
out with expenses.
After paying
rent, they are left with R$ 70 to spend on groceries and other
needs. Their
house in Vila Campus is tiny—no more than 200 square feet—with
plywood walls, a tin roof and a single light bulb dangling from
the ceiling. The main room holds a small stove, kitchen cabinets
and piles of their other belongings. The bedroom is just big
enough to hold a twin-sized bed where Eliezer and his mother
sleep together each night.
Playtime
Sometimes,
Eliezer decides he is not in the mood to shine shoes.
"It's time to play,"
he says after stashing his shoeshine box with a friend.
Eliezer plays video games
at the arcade, and then races to a nearby park to swing and spin himself dizzy
on the merry-go-round. Other shoeshine boys show up, and together they run
and jump off the swings, glad to not be working this afternoon.
Later that day, Eliezer
stops in his favorite church downtown to pray. He
silently sits in the church pew, head bowed and eyes closed, when all of a
sudden he looks up.
"It's time to go
to work," he says.
Eliezer picks up his
wooden shoeshine box, throws it over his shoulder and goes outside, ready
for another round of shining.
Jamie Braun
is a senior studying magazine journalism at the University of Florida. She
plans to graduate in May 2004. Jamie has worked for The Washington Times,
The Independent Florida Alligator, Student Leader magazine
and Florida Leader magazine. She loved her first international journalism
trip to Brazil and hopes to do more in the future. You can reach the author
at jamieb131@yahoo.com
