Olgha Sierra Sandman, a colleague and friend of Felix Garza, SCNA, and Marie-Therese Browne, SCN, died recently.
Olgha shared her experience with the farmworker movement in an interview recorded Aug. 24, 2011, as part of the National Farm Worker Ministry documentation project. In the interview, she recalled meeting Cesar Chavez for the first time during a gathering of Latino participants who were invited to meet with him in his hotel room.
Olgha described sitting with Chavez for several hours as he rested due to back problems. She said he spoke about the farmworker strike, the families involved, and the sacrifices they were making. He also discussed marches, resistance from growers, and the goals of the movement, including contracts, job security, benefits, health programs, pensions, clean drinking water, and rest breaks during the workday.
Olgha said these conversations left a strong impression on her. She recalled Chavez describing the movement as a national union that would spread across the country. She identified that moment as a crucial point in her life and said it was when she decided she wanted to be part of the movement. She placed the experience in the year 1970.