In this life there is only one way to gage the way you�ve lived; if people were better or worse off for having known you. In the case of Maria Eva Duarte de Peron those whose lives were touched by her kindness were much better off. Eva dedicated her life to creating a better life for those around her. From her humble beginnings as a child turned successful actress, to her catapult into politics Eva Peron made quite the name for herself; Evita.
Eva�s story begins on May 7, 1919, in Los Toldos Buenos Aires. Her mother Juana Ibaguren and father Juan Duarte bore four siblings before Eva and after the death of her father, who rose to power as a farmer and fell after the collapse of the Conservatives, would know nothing of the rich life her older siblings had experienced. Instead Eva attended school late in childhood and after moving several times with her mother and siblings decided to be an actress. Against the better judgment of her mother Eva left her home for Buenos Aires, where she had several small parts in stage productions leading her to star later in radio programs and a handful of films. But the event that would throw Eva into politics would not occur for several more years after she began her career as a woman in pursuit of the arts.
In 1944 an earthquake destroyed 90% of the Andean city of San Juan, so the then secretary of the National Department of Labor, Colonel Juan Peron, organized a relief effort of the people of that area calling in all the popular entertainers of that time; Eva Duarte was one of those entertainers. Soon after these affairs Eva and Juan Peron began their relationship that would last until Eva�s death in 1955.
When Peron began his rise to power he was met with opposition and having a strong, confident woman at his side was an obvious target for his attackers. At one point he was coerced into resigning from all his posts and was exiled. Soon after Peron�s disappearance the workers realized that Peron was no longer around and that his labor policies would soon vanish like their maker. With one single stand the people demanded Peron be reinstated and they had their leader back with the charismatic aid of Eva.
In 1945 Juan Peron became Argentina�s President and Eva�s role grew more important. From the beginning Eva did not follow the atypical role of a first lady; however she did follow protocol to an extent. Eva felt that there was a greater calling to her and that she would have to play two roles, have a split personality perhaps, to fill both the role of the first lady and that of a strong woman of action; so Evita was created. Evita began work right away at rebuilding the structure of the interior; providing the necessities to people who could not otherwise obtain them. Evita was a strong advocate for the rights of workers. She took several trips abroad to speak with the union leaders of countries such as Italy, Spain and Uruguay. From each country she visited Evita would try to learn a lesson about her cause, a way not to act.
Among her great works she also fought diligently for the suffrage of women. Evita addressed Congress personally on the issue of women�s rights and went so far as to use her husbands Peronista Party to permit formation of another Peronista Party in September of 1947 exclusively for women called the Partido Peronista Feminino-PPF.
Eva Peron�s idea of �action for the rest� lead to the formation of yet another organization created to help others; Eva Peron Foundation. To this foundation all of Evita�s greatest efforts are attributed. The Social Help Crusade worked specifically to create affordable housing, school food programs, provide work to the unemployed, distribute toys to poor children, donate household items to families, and provide water and sanitation facilities to low income neighborhoods.
Eva�s position in power was growing at a rapid rate so much that when her husband was asked to run again for the presidency she was asked to be his running mate. Much to the displeasure of the people Eva rejected their offer and at Juan Peron�s inauguration that would be Eva�s final public appearance as her health continued to diminish. By her death in 1955 after 33 years of discovering her purpose in life, Eva Peron had touched numerous lives all for the better. In her life Eva roofed the homeless, fed the empty bellies, clothed the naked, educated the masses, enriched a nation of eager young minds, and provided women with a voice that counts. Her contributions to Argentina and her very way of life were controversial, but the woman she was and the work and words she has left behind are truly inspirational.
Part B - One Day
This is a fictional narrative of a day in the life of Eva Peron, the wife of Juan Peron and first lady of Argentina. The date is September of 1948.
Dear journal,
It�s been quite a productive day. I began with an early morning conference with the heads of each of the departments of the Eva Peron Foundation. Each department head gave a report as to the progress of their teams. The medical team having accomplished the most recently with their new mobile medical unit; a bus equipped with the latest medical technology and supplies traveling to the farthest reaches of the country to help the people. This medical bus has been long in the works and to finally hear that it is operational and most of all effective is of great comfort to me.
Next I made visits to the orphanages sponsored by my foundation. To see the faces of the little children is truly wonderful. They are learning to read and staying healthy through the newly instated competitive program, which includes soccer and other activities for the children to participate in.
After seeing the children I continued on to the factories to speak with the union leaders. I find it in their best interests to keep them abreast of the most recent developments in their struggle so that they can inform the workers. Being apart of the workers union has been an ongoing up hill battle. My trips to Europe only provided me with examples of how not to treat the workers and very few ways to make things better.
Around 6pm I stopped briefly to eat and rest my feet thinking of how fortunate I am to have these few minutes to spend reflecting upon life. But alas there is much more to be done, I mustn�t rest long.