Vania Arana: Sometimes it smells so bad that it's even hard to breathe

Vania Arana was born in Peru in the late sixties, but has been living in Catalonia for over thirty years. She arrives at the interview wearing a green t-shirt with the phrase: "Organize yourself if you don't want to be organized." It is the slogan of Las Kellys, the union she presides over and which brings together hotel maids, that is, the women who, like Vania, clean hotels.

What did you play as a child?

— I liked being a teacher. And I also used to play at making cakes, at cooking... I remember picking up the broom with my friends and playing at cleaning. It seemed fun then. 

You studied, in fact, to be a teacher.

— Language and literature. But I was eager to eat the world and decided to leave. I arrived in Barcelona just after the Olympic Games and bumped into reality. I sank. 

Why?

— I couldn't validate the degree, I couldn't do anything. The only options I had were cleaning houses and taking care of old people or children. And I entered a house. You won't believe the first night.

What happened?

— I had to take care of an old gentleman who was ill and could barely move. I arrived in the evening. He told me he wanted a juice, I prepared it for him, he drank it and after a while I looked at him and thought: "I think he has stopped breathing".

Wow...

— I approached and, indeed, he had died. I called the relatives by phone and they told me: "Cover him up and we'll come tomorrow morning". 

What a pity that they are not able to come at the moment…

— I couldn't believe it. I was then in other houses and I saw that it was a job I couldn't do, it wasn't for me. I saw old people alone, suffering. During that time I went out crying every day.

And you didn't consider returning to Peru?

— I was very discouraged, but I thought that with what it had cost me to get here, I couldn't go back. My visa expired, I became illegal, and it was four terrible years until I got my papers.

Do you remember the day they were given to you?

— …

They must be many emotions…

— I hadn't remembered it for a long time. It was exciting because I was very afraid of being stopped by the police for a long time. That's why I only worked indoors in houses. 

After that you enter hotels to clean. What did you think on the first day?

— If I can do this, I can do anything. 

Cleaning is…

— Focus 100% on what you are doing, and be clear that each day will be a challenge. Your work is your mark, and what gives dignity to what you do.

Do you feel valued?

— Society has always seen the cleaning woman as a mop, someone without culture. And I am clear that not everyone is suited for this job. During the 2008 crisis, even husbands of cleaning women who were unemployed came. Out of ten, I could stand one. And that one eventually left too.

Why didn't they last?

— Cleaning is hard, you have to handle liquids, pay attention to details, there are always rushes, rooms are for the day before yesterday…

And you should find all sorts of things.

— Sometimes you enter and you can hardly tell anyone has been there. The typical very clean convention client. And others…

Others, what?

— As soon as you enter, there's a smell that makes it hard to breathe. And the windows, to avoid accidents, cannot be opened, or only open a few centimeters. So you have to put up with it. 

What is the worst thing you have encountered?

— Vomiting. But vomiting everywhere. Towels with blood. Of everything. 

You are wearing a t-shirt with a message.

— "Organize yourself if you don't want to be organized." It's a t-shirt from Las Kellys.

How are Las Kellys born?

— From exhaustion. We started exchanging experiences through Facebook. Many, for example, couldn't leave work at the time we were supposed to because we had to finish the rooms even though the workday was already over. And those from Barcelona said: "Why don't we associate?

And the union is born. How did you decide on the name?

— We are always spoken of as: the one who cleans. Without even giving us a name. And we decided to play with that. The ones who clean. And keep the cleani, transformed into cleany.

What is the most important thing you have achieved?

— The recognition that we exist. I remember the Spanish women in the late nineties, when I arrived, who spoke whispering in hotels, complaining about the time we left. And I didn't understand them.

What didn't you understand?

— They complained about it. I thought: "At least we have work." Look at the concept I had. It is what I have learned in Peru and that exists in many Latin American countries: even if you work a lot, you have to continue and feel fortunate to earn money. I never thought: "Do I have labor rights?" I learned from them. 

Let's play at imagining that you have all the hotel businessmen of Catalonia in front of you. What do you tell them?

— May they be aware of our work. And may they not subcontract. Now there are companies that do not work with the hospitality agreement, but with the cleaning one, which is worse.

And for the clients?

— Respect. Without respect there is no dignity. 

You have two children. What are you trying to transfer them?

— May they be free and may they not let anyone judge them. And if they do, may they find a way not to care. 

Have you felt judged?

— Many times. I am aware that claiming rights has consequences and, in fact, I tell the women who are part of Las Kellys not to mention it at their workplace. Although I, who have lived through everything, am now lucky enough to have a manager who respects and defends us. She tells us we have value. This had never happened to me before.