05. Eleuteria: Scarcity on the 8th Island, Wisdom and Learning
An example of sacrifice,
life was her school. Born on the island of La Graciosa in 1941,
she had to apply all her wits and ingenuity to
survive scarcity from a very young age.
La Graciosa. 29.05 km2 ; 734 inhabitants
Eleuteria considers herself illiterate, because she had to miss school almost every day in order to go to Haría.
She would go up and down the Risco to get there, walking barefoot. In Haría they sold fish, milled ‘gofio’ and looked for any way they could to subsist.
The ‘Graciosero’ Hat
Her most special hats? The first one her mother made her and the first one her husband gave her.
Although she tells us there are not so many ‘charms’ and entertainments for people from outside, La Graciosa is “her soul and her life”.
She keeps herself busy helping the Church, selling postcard images, medallions and other little mementos.
