@natgeo

Photos by @andreabruce. Text by Rebecca Sanchez @rbeckslee. In our article on “keepers of community” in the September issue of National Geographic magazine, read about Sonia Ventura. She is part of the glue that holds her community of Vieques, Puerto Rico, together. Before her death at the age of 79 late last year, Sonia Ventura evoked the aura of a spirited youth. Even seeing her at a distance, standing beneath the beating sun on hot gravel and surrounded by roosters, the first thing you noticed was the way her hands danced. She spoke fast and without breaks, gesturing wildly as she moved in conversation, effortlessly, between God and gossip. She had stories about everyone. Born on the small island of Vieques off Puerto Rico’s eastern coast, which Viequenses call “the colony of a colony,” she was raised in New York before returning to her roots in 2003. There, she found her people in a struggle that was bad enough before the damage from Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the days of COVID-19. Many of the older residents were in dire need of care, but they refused to leave. So to help improve the quality of life for Viequenses, she started an aid organization called Corefi—Concerned Residents for Improvement. This project exists with support from @catchlight.io, @photowings, @nationalwritingproject, and @lorraineustar. Read the full story at the link in bio. To see more photos, follow me at @andreabruce #onassignment