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Joseba Etxarri.  Olga Leiciaga sustains solidarity projects and community outreach for the Corpus Basque club, in a depressed area where there are few Basques but where the Basque club was founded a decade ago and has carried out plans and activities of undeniable social vocation from establishing a public library named, Atahualpa Yupanqui, for the iconic Argentinean singer with a Basque mother, to workshops for youth, to the construction of a school and providing materials for the indigenous communities.

-How is the Corpus Christi Basque club doing?

-I think that we are doing ok but it is difficult for us to grow since we live far from Buenos Aires.  We don’t have broadband and the services are deficient.  Elemental things are difficult for us.  For example, we can’t download videos for the library or for studying Basque online and we have to travel to distant cities in order to complete our homework.  But we are not throwing up our hands.  We know that everything depends on our efforts and we won’t give up.

-What are your current projects?

-Right now we are carrying out a project with the elementary schools in Corpus led by a museum expert and with my collaboration that will let us a complete genealogy of the families in our library; that will be a contribution to the cultural heritage of Corpus.  We are also planning on being part of the Human Chain in support of the Basque Country on June 8^th and several members will be present next week in Buenos Aires at the “Buenos Aires Celebrates the Basque Country” festival, organized by the Laurak Bat Basque club.

-You do a lot of social projects.

-We want to be a useful entity, supportive and a diffusor of culture.  That is why we created the Public Library that takes care of everyone and where we hold our workshops for children, youth and adults.  We do social work for the indigenous Mbyá-Guaraníes communities.  With help from the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa we were able to build a school building for the Tava Miri Community in the rural area of San Ignacio.  And with the help of the Gure Aita Community in Vitoria-Gasteiz and the People’s School of health “Opaibo,” directed by Dr. Eneko Landaburu, one of our members, we provided drinking water to the school.  We work with eight indigenous communities providing clothes that are sent to us by the Parish Charities in Saladillo and with the National Institute of Agricultural Technology, we supply seeds for gardens and give advice.

-What is the Amazing Stories Contest?

-It is a literary contest that the Library began in 2009 to encourage writing, to preserve stories and part of our oral heritage and get folks interested in literature, especially children and youth.  We have published two books with a selections of stories.  The contest is in its fifth year.  This year we have changed the theme to ‘Family Stories.’

-Since both sides of your family are Basque, how did they live their heritage?

-I don’t ever remember talking about it.  My father, Hector Martin Leiciaga Arrospide, was a grandson of Basques.  My mother, Delia Susana Elordi Aguirre, daughter.  Three of my grandparents who probably could have told me their life stories, died young and so I never met them.  I found out I was Basque when I was over 30, inquiring and researching, trying to do my family tree.  Later I became more aware and I am still learning about us and our culture.

-Retirement provided you with time to work.

-I was a teacher my entire life, principal, and primary education inspector.  Once I retired I dedicated myself to different tasks and I ended up dedicating myself to work at the Basque club.  I have always tried to act responsibly with varying success; I have put my best foot forward in all that I have done.

-You are from Saladillo where you founded your first Basque club.

- It came up with Alberto Aguirre.  We used to meet in the streets of Saladillo, always in a hurry and the question was, when and how will we form a Basque club?  Until we finally decided to form the first Board because they knew that I was moving to Misiones.

-What should a Basque club be or what should it contribute?

-It should be a meeting place for Basques and friends of Basques to carry out activities in favor of the community in general; a center of cultural diffusion; and to share the Basque cause.  For me, being Basque is a life-long commitment to the ideals and values of my elders.

-I believe that your family also organizes reunions every once in a while.

-We are a very close family.  The Elordis get together every time I get to Saladillo and last November all the cousins got together for the first time.  The Leiciagas did the same thing two years ago, and we are organizing another family reunion in November as part of the Semana Nacional Vasca in La Plata.