Trip to “Tequis” benefits Jóvenes Adelante, February 16, 2007

Jóvenes Adelante trip to Tequisquiapán Tue, Feb 20, 9:30am 400 pesos, 154-9544

Come with us and discover why Tequisquiapán has been a Mecca for urban Mexicans for many years. Not well known, “Tequis,” as it is affectionately called, is in many ways a mirror image of San Miguel. Its numerous springs water ancient cypress trees that shade some streets. Flat, easy walking on stone pavers cut in interesting patterns and the lack of crowds is immediately apparent, especially on a weekday.

Reeds growing in the San Juan River that flows through town gave rise to a basket-making tradition that survives to this day. The market is crammed with all types, from tortilla baskets to doggie beds. An outgrowth of basketry has been the manufacture of wicker, rattan and bamboo furniture, all for sale in the many shops on one of the streets near the main plaza.

Many mines nearby provide beautiful opals, amethysts and crystals for the towns’ jewelers. Quarries are the source of geodes, stones that are hollow and lined with colored quartz crystals, and interesting patterned stones that are fashioned into spheres that seem to have floated in from outer space like errant planets. Marble and onyx are worked into useful and decorative objects of excellent design. All of this can be found in the shops and markets in the center of town, many of them located under the graceful arches of the porticos that face the plaza. For bargainers similar articles can be found in the covered markets, where the price structure is more informal. Surrounding farms yield delicious cheeses. Candies, especially cacahuates garapinados (sugar-coated peanuts) are another specialty, but best of all is the bakery. Reputed to be the finest in Mexico, its sweet rolls are as light and tender as a cloud. How could anything so ethereal contain calories? Be sure to buy a basket to carry home the wonderfu
l goodies you buy.

After shopping, it is time for lunch, and finding good food is no problem in this town. There are many four-star hotels, all with dining rooms. Eat in the garden of one of them, under the porticoes of the square or indoors. Hotel Relox serves generous portions of tasty Mexican dishes. La Bicicleta often has roast kid on the menu, and sometimes rabbit and quail. The restaurant connected with the bakery is well known, too.

As a bonus we will be stopping at the Freixenet winery, one of the best in Mexico, where we will see how wine is fermented and bottled and then have a chance to try a sample.

The proceeds of the tour benefit Jóvenes Adelante Scholarship Fund, which is currently helping over 20 deserving San Miguel youth gain a university education. Selected from the top of their high school classes, all maintain exceptionally high university averages in spite of the hurdles they must clear. Without help, none of them would be able to go beyond a basic education. Now, when they graduate our assistance is magnified as they, prepared for good jobs, pay for the education of their siblings.

Tickets are sold at La Conexión on Aldama, Casa de Papel on Mesones and by Jóvenes Adelante members. More information is available at 154-9544. We leave from the central bus station at 9:30am and return in the evening.

Forgotten Child International seeks volunteers and funds
By Camila Sands

We all recognize the forgotten child of Mexico: the child whom the world, with its many resources, has not known or cared for, or helped to rise above poverty and meager opportunity, or to discover that he or she can become confident and educated and give back to family and community.

These “forgotten children” typically live with their mothers, aunts, grandmothers and brothers and sisters in a family that is frequently without the father and older male relatives, who have gone north to scratch out a humble living. Some immigrants never return, and the children are again forgotten—left in poverty and without the means to alter the economic and social cycle they were born into.

Today, just outside of San Miguel in the disadvantaged community of Jalpa, a small rural village of about 1,500 people, 400 of which are children, Forgotten Child International is tackling this huge social problem. “We are helping children achieve through cooperative projects that meet the needs of forgotten children and their families within a given community. Jalpa is our first model,” said Sara Tylosky, co-founder of Forgotten Child International (FCI). “We work with community leaders to develop alternative paths toward economic, spiritual and educational well-being. We reach these goals through sustainable, culturally sensitive school and community projects.” The first project was sponsoring a Feed the Hungry kitchen to provide a protein-balanced meal to over 150 children each day. 

Now, Forgotten Child International is continuing and strengthening their RuralEnglish Program. Robin Arutt, M.Ed., Director of FCI’s Curriculum Development RuralEnglish Program said, “This program teaches young children the basics of spoken English, which lays an important foundation for them to have future opportunities in Mexico’s changing economy. We incorporate leadership development into the RuralEnglish program, and begin working with students as early as the second grade.” In partnership with Jalpa’s teachers and upon their recommendations, FCI will continue to work with over half of the second, third and sixth grades for the remainder of the school year. In anticipation of much-needed funding, Forgotten Child International hopes to build on this program each year, increasing the number of participating students and extending their continued exposure to English. 

Arutt has designed the RuralEnglish Program using a unique combination of interdisciplinary, experiential approaches and resources, reinforced by teams of English-speaking volunteers from the San Miguel area.

More volunteers are needed to keep this new program thriving. “We are not dependent on external materials like an ESL program with paper, computers and books, because most rural schools simply don’t have access to those. We are working with creative, interactive application of the language, and with humor and personal connection,” she said. “We all learn a lot and have a lot of fun. In time, we hope to make this a replicable model so that more children from other rural areas much like Jalpa can also benefit.”

Rosana Alvárez de Jones, owner of Casa Angelitos B&B, is a volunteer in the RuralEnglish Program. “I love going to Jalpa. The kids are very shy at first, very closed up. But then you see how they open up. They have happy eyes. For example, Anayeli is such a wonderful student; she loves to say, “Good morning, my name is Anayeli. I live in Gabillón (a community about a 45-minute walk from Jalpa).” Alvárez de Jones told how, recently, the children in the RuralEnglish Program took a field trip to a local chocolate factory (Sensual Chocolatiers), where the manager, who had gotten her job in part because she had learned English, explained the opportunities that these children could have for themselves. “Anayeli was amazed to see a woman with a job like that. Her eyes were opened to the possibilities, and she loved learning and eating the chocolate.”

Sara and Craig Toylosky, founders of Forgotten Child International, ask you to “come with us and see what you can do with your life experience, talents, knowledge and passion for improving others’ opportunities in life. Join the efforts of Forgotten Child International and help us as we create ways to tackle problems experienced all over rural Mexico, from the nearby humble village of Jalpa, where your efforts can make a world of difference.” 

Funds to support the RuralEnglish Program as well as volunteers are needed right now. Contact Forgotten Child International at152-4657 or info@forgottenchild.org  or see www.forgottenchild.org. 

Forgotten Child International works under Global Development Services, a 501-(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible under US federal law.

Rural girls need more help
By Roger Hind

Mujeres en Cambio lunch and Mexican folk art museum tour

Thur, Feb 22, 2pm

Fernández Ranch, Atotonilco

250 pesos

The Mujeres en Cambio is an organization that provides education opportunities for young Mexican rural women and thus foster their self-sufficiency, self-esteem and self-respect. Support for the more than 120 students comes from monthly lunches and the major annual fundraiser, this year on February 22. 

Our students travel to San Miguel once every two months to pick up their scholarship money. They need to give us evidence of their grades and their continued attendance at school. We can tell from our records that not all of the students awarded scholarships actually come and pick them up. We check on them on our biannual visits to the schools.

Last week, I related two of the sad stories we heard on a recent school visit. Another one concerns Carmen (not her real name), a student who had always maintained excellent grades but who was no longer in school. Her principal told us that Carmen had been unable to afford the costs of attending school. When pressed, Carmen had revealed to her teacher that her parents were taking all of the scholarship money, leaving none for her.

Lest I give the impression that our program is not working, I need to point out that we were able to confirm that all but a few of the students are performing brilliantly. We were thrilled to find that every one of the students who had been in junior high last year was now enrolled in senior high. We were also encouraged and inspired by the teachers who so clearly knew and cared about their students. We saw the stark, unheated, minimally furnished classrooms and we also saw the intelligent and hard-working students in those rooms.

We realize that we are overly dependent on the school principals for most of our information. We know that there are too many gaps in our knowledge of how our students fare. We raise nearly US$70,000 each year, almost all of which goes to our students. We are pursuing the idea of hiring a social worker to visit the schools regularly and speak individually with our students so that we can be much more aware of their needs, troubles and successes. If we are to implement this idea we will need more help from our generous supporters, so we hope that you will come along and help us make the February 22 event a great success.

The main course will be chicken mole, rice, beans and tortillas. Guacamole will be served as an appetizer. As usual, there will be a selection of salads and desserts prepared or supplied by Mujeres en Cambio core members. There will be a cash bar with wine, beer and soft drinks. All bar profits will be donated to Mujeres en Cambio by our hosts, Pakina and Jaime Fernández. Tea and coffee will also be provided.

One of our scholarship recipients will be sitting at each table, so you will have a chance to get to know firsthand how a scholarship can change a girl’s life.

As a special bonus, after the lunch, Jennifer Haas has invited ticket holders to visit her museum of Mexican folk art, said by some to be the best in the world.

Buses will leave from calle Cardo, opposite St Paul’s church, at 1:30pm sharp on February 22. Driving directions are printed on the reverse of the tickets.

Access to the buses and entry to the lunch and museum are by advance purchase only. The 150 tickets, at 250 pesos each, sell out quickly. No tickets will be sold on the day of the lunch. Tickets are on sale at Casa de Papel, Mesones 57A; Re/Max Colonial Real Estate, Portal Guadalupe 12; and Solutions Mail Service, Recreo 11. For more information see www.mujeresencambio.com  or call Roger at 154-6552 (no reservations can be taken).

A Visit to Ciénega de Juana Ruiz
By Bob Stone, Center for Global Justice

The 700 people of the village of Ciénega de Juana Ruiz represent about half of its normal population. The other half, mostly men, are in the United States. That was what a woman named Olga told a group of fellow villagers and North American visitors gathered in the town’s community center for its first dialogo comunitario arranged by the Center for Global Justice. The dialogo is with towns that wish to host foreign visitors from distant places, share ways of life across cultures, and save the profits from lunches provided for all for community projects. 

Ciénega de Juana Ruiz is one of over 500 communities in greater San Miguel. Located in what were once cattle raising lands of an old hacienda (owned by Juana Ruiz), it is near river-fed wetlands en route to Guanajuato, and is an eight-peso bus ride to San Miguel. Ciénega boasts a primary school, a “tele-secondaria” (TV-assisted education) and a lot of public spirit. Like its centuries-old churches and chapels, the community center had itself been built by community labor. And a large group of men, volunteering to jointly rehabilitate the town’s bull ring, waved at us as we passed. They were preparing the arena for Ciénega’s annual fair,or jaripero, celebrating San Cristóbal on February 25. The Center for Global Justice returns on that day to enjoy the celebration and the rodeo events. 

“We look after each other,” said Emelia proudly. “We loan money to the poor among us and collect money for doctor visits. Everyone helps with weddings. We are now working together on our fair. Other towns don’t have that as much. Here everyone is together.”

A community metal-working shop to produce doors and windows had been seriously considered, explained Luis, one of the few men present. “It would employ many of us. But we need a transformer to step up the current, a welder, and a space for the shop.

“Potable water is a problem,” said Olga. “We used to have lots. But we carry what we need on our heads from the village well.” Olga does housework in San Miguel three days a week for a North American family and one day a week for a Mexican family.

The village’s commercial corn production is also a problem as it has been drastically reduced by a flood of cheaper NAFTA corn and by climate changes, undermining its economy. Soccorro and Juana both have children in the US. Each works at home tending goats and horses. The corn they grow in the family milpa or garden becomes hand-made tortillas. “We sell them on Sundays in a little plaza in San Antonio in San Miguel,” Soccorro explained.

The dozen Ciénega hosts—mostly older women—were glad to learn that Rowan, a tall woman from California who is studying Spanish, was part indigenous. Older villagers still speak Otomi, explained Sara, who teaches the language. Otomi is the dominant indigenous tongue in the San Miguel region of Guanajuato.

The visiting group was heavy on teachers, with two painters, a writer, a computer programmer, a medical doctor and two grandmothers. They wanted to know about emigration, town history, and the local economy. Bert asked: “How about health arrangements?” 

“We are turned away at the Hospital de la Fe,” said Emelia. “And at Popular Security you have to be politically connected. But there is a clinic with a private doctor and a midwife.” Remittances from the North sometimes go for health care. Emelia tends animals and her five children, one in the US. Her friend Pietra works in her family’s milpa and is raising eight children, three of whom are in Dallas. “They come back every two or three years for a few months,” said Emelia. “Parting again is very hard for us.”

“What questions would you like to ask of us?” inquired visit coordinator Atahualpa Caldera of the town residents present.

A jolly woman, the oldest one present, turned serious and asked: “How can I visit my child in the US?” The question hung in the air: without money and contacts, a visit to the US was impossible. The US visitors present were compelled to acknowledge the sad reality that their country was not nearly as welcoming to Mexican visitors as Mexico was to US visitors.

“We are very worried about my brother in law,” said Olga tearfully. “He has been in the US one week and we have not heard from him.” There were other tears in the room.

“If it were not for NAFTA, Mexico would offer opportunities that would allow families to stay together,” said Atahualpa. “Our best hope is to align ourselves more with the southern hemisphere.”

Global Justice trips
Peñon de los Baños
Sat, Feb 24

Ciénega de Juana Ruiz
Sun, Feb 25
150-0025, 300 pesos



Venture beyond the familiar cobblestone streets of San Miguel and experience a piece of México profundo. Next weekend the Center for Global Justice offers two day-trips to communities in the campo.

On Saturday, February 24, the Center returns to the rural community of Peñón de los Baños to discuss with the campesinos how they can hold on to their ejido land and preserve the way of life they value against the commercializing forces of agribusiness. On Sunday, February 25, we venture to Ciénega de Juana Ruiz to enjoy their annual fair and rodeo. Talk with the people of these communities about their lives and hopes for the future as we share a delicious comida prepared by the women of the community.



Join us on either of these day-trips to the campo. A 300 peso ticket will cover transportation, comida, and translation. Advance registration is required. Call 150-0025 for a reservation and come by the Center for Global Justice at Calzada de la Luz 42 weekdays between 9am and 2pm for your ticket.

Which school would you go to?

Today, Escuela sin Estrés, a project created to transform education in Mexico and other Latin American countries, is launching its initiative to establish a network of private schools in Mexico, starting in San Miguel de Allende. 

“The modern system of education, has been recognized to be inadequate because it does not create enlightened individuals, and this is a loss to life everywhere,” said Dr. Daniel Seymour, the international coordinator for Escuela sin Estrés in Mexico.

Escuela sin Estrés combines the application of the modern scientific understanding of nature’s intelligence to the field of education, with the most ancient know-how to access and take advantage of the full potential of that intelligence through direct experience, using the Transcendental Meditation technique and its advanced programs.

This approach, named “Consciousness-Based Education,” has been used in classrooms over 30 years and is backed by more than 600 research studies conducted by independent scientists in 120 universities and research institutions in more than 27 countries.

Results include the growth of higher-states of consciousness, increased IQ, improved memory, improved mind-body coordination, stronger immune system and reversed aging process. Scientific studies of students from all age groups from physiology, neurophysiology and psychology perspectives have given positive results.

“Our societies are as good as the knowledge on which they are based,” says Seymour. “This is the type of education worth giving to children—education that empowers students with total knowledge, experientially, intellectually, and emotionally.”

According to research, this revolutionary theme of education for invincibility produces enlightened individuals—which is the goal of education in the first place—and enlightened societies, because it gives this experience of the most fundamental and enlightened level of intelligence structuring and managing the entire universe.

If national consciousness is not coherent, problems and conflicts will prevail, increase and paralyze us. It is sound financial policy to prevent problems before they arise, therefore establishing consciousness-based education schools is vitally important so we can all breathe life in freedom, peace, prosperity, and happiness. 

Today’s inauguration is part of the global inauguration of similar programs in 127 countries, by the Global Financial Capital of New York, a recently created organization, whose goal is to bring together creativity, vision and equity to fulfill the following programs in favor of life on Earth as soon as possible:



Crowning every nation with invincibility 
Reconstruction of the world 
Creating high-level medical colleges in every country 
Establishing new universities, colleges and schools in every country 
Producing healthy food through promotion of organic agriculture in every country 
Eliminating poverty in the world

To contact Escuela sin Estrés visit their website at http://www.escuelasintres.org 

Biblioteca president’s report 2007
By Ali Zerriffi

Biblioteca Pública Mission Statement

The Biblioteca Pública’s bylaws (Article II) set forth these initiatives:

“To provide, promote and support a public library, together with appropriate cultural and educational activities, in the Municipality of San Miguel de Allende, with special attention to the needs of the Mexican youth.

To publish a weekly bilingual newspaper called Atención San Miguel, proceeds from which shall be used to assist in aiding the Biblioteca to support rural schools; organize art, English and computer classes for children; award scholarships to meritorious students; offer work assistance to those who need it; provide employment advice to Mexican youth and furnish and maintain audiovisual material. All assets of the association must be used only for the above purpose.”

In an article written by a librarian who visited San Miguel, a US newspaper hailed the Biblioteca Pública de San Miguel as the library of the future.* Having risen from its humble beginning in a single room of a private home 50 years ago, the Biblioteca is a stunning achievement based on an extraordinary synthesis of creative leadership, public interest and funding, private donations and volunteer support.

Over the past year, board members, department heads and key employees have re-evaluated and re-examined our programs and physical plant with an eye toward maintaining and enhancing our status as the library of the future by improving and expanding our services to the community.

Juan Manuel Fajardo, chief librarian, and his team are implementing perhaps the biggest change to the Biblioteca in many years—installation of an electronic cataloging and search system. When completed, this will allow us to better manage our collections and databases, communicate and collaborate with other libraries and offer internet services. We congratulate Fajardo, Rosario Muñoz and José Ramírez for piloting the project while maintaining normal operations.

*See www.atencionsanmiguel.org , archived issue April 21, 2006, or www.bibliotecasma.com , the Biblioteca Pública home page.

Based on requests and recommendations from the public as well as market surveys and book fairs, Robin Velte and committee members Juan Manuel, Rosario, Maria De La Paz and Juan Villaseñor have used allocated funds to purchase books to satisfy a wide range of reading interests. Additionally, Velte assembled guidelines for purchasing books and discarding unwanted items and helped reorganize the space within the library.

This administration has successfully managed the library’s enterprises and stimulated cultural, artistic and educational activities. It has also continued the work of previous boards by maintaining scholarship financing while increasing the level of financial donations and consequently the amount invested in the endowment fund. In the coming year, we will focus more attention on outreach to rural schools and implementation of work assistance and employment advice programs.

Expanding our role in the community 

The administration also intends to develop outreach programs in the city of San Miguel as well as in the Municipio de Allende, perhaps in collaboration with other organizations such as D.I.F, FAI, CASA, El Charco del Ingenio or with private individuals in specific areas (e.g., providing computers to rural schools). This would be an extension of our extant programs; even the Bodega de Sorpresas can help channel much-needed clothing and other items to needy communities.

Elections and the search for new talent

Some board members are up for re-election this March, and at least one position on the board will become vacant. We need the public’s help to identify and encourage potential candidates for the upcoming election and to develop a long-term “recruitment” strategy.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the library’s team and are indispensable in assisting with all our programs. We now have a volunteer coordinator, Judith Boston, who is actively recruiting volunteers and matching them with specific programs as well as compiling a database of all the generous people who willingly offer their time and skills.

Scholarship program

The library’s primary role is to provide services to its members and the community. At the core of its mission is helping Mexican students by providing books, computer and art classes and scholarships. Luisa Velte, head of the scholarship program, has done a remarkable job for many years, running a program that has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of young people. She is looking for people to serve on the scholarship committee and help her expand the program, by creating a well-integrated plan that offers orientation, guidance and referral services and involves volunteers with experience in education and counseling and local employers to participate in apprenticeship and cooperative work programs.

English language program

Gerald Camp, the director of the English program, continues to concentrate on establishing a common curriculum, providing our teachers with professional development workshops and supplying books bought for our volunteer teachers and the students. He also is working to devise a long-term strategy to develop a seamless process for replacing teachers when they leave San Miguel for various reasons.

Fundraising

The library operates in a very competitive environment where a number of charities vie for the same potential donations. However, no other group serves as large a segment of both the Spanish- and English-speaking population in San Miguel with a greater variety of services. The library serves as both the intellectual and social hub of the community. We require fundraising activities to finance urgent infrastructural investment that has been neglected for many years.

Preventing book theft is also a high priority to protect our community’s invaluable education and information investment.

The board of directors appeals to all community members to join us as volunteers, board members or financial supporters.


Administration

This year has brought enormous changes in the way the library functions. Our new general manager, Miguel Kegel, began his tenure with a systematic program to implement operational procedures. Thanks to Miguel’s experience and administrative skills, with the assistance of Sandra Suaste, internal procedures have been established. All this has generated a much more pleasant working and motivating atmosphere.

This year’s budget reflects depreciation of assets and required expenditures to maintain normal services. For example, the renovation of the Tienda and bathrooms were reflected in the budget. This year’s budget was presented February 8 by Assistant Treasurer Ken Rowland.

Atención San Miguel

The newspaper remains the main income-producing enterprise at the library. It is monitored by the Business Committee and supported by the board. This year we will work to further capitalize on the investment made in the website and to expand our readership and advertising client base. Suzanne Ludekens and her team continue to performed incredible feats, turning the newspaper into a popular, credible, well-designed publication. Graphic designer Larissa Osorio is responsible for the more reader-friendly layout of the newspaper. Our goal this year is to purchase specific equipment. The Atención team plans to continue improving and to maintain its predominance in the market and its relationship with readers and advertisers.


House & Garden Tour

The H&G Tour has been a very important source of income for the library for many years thanks to Jennifer Hamilton, who despite the difficult times in the tourism industry has maintained a high number of clientele.


La Tienda

The Tienda has reopened under the management of Stephanie Hough. Its business concept is closer to the activities and needs of library patrons. Judging by the results so far, Stephanie is on the right track. The store looks great, the merchandise is very attractive and the returns are promising. The store is greatly supported by a team of volunteers. Their help is very much appreciated.

Café Santa Ana

Great changes have happened at the café under the management of Carlos Rodriguez. Some of these changes are visible, such as the children’s artwork at the entrance and on the menus, bouquets on the tables, the new sound system and, above all, a better menu based on local produce. During these past six months the café has become a profitable enterprise with increased patronage. 

Teatro Santa Ana

Artistic and Cultural Director José Luis Mendoza has embraced the challenge of providing high-quality educational, artistic and cultural events and services. To develop the concept of the Biblioteca Pública as a cultural center, the Teatro Santa Ana and the Sala Quetzal offer space for community activities by local organizations. The theater itself has seen a few renovations as well as the acquisition of new equipment, including a projector and a sound system. Security handrails have been installed as well as ventilation. 
The theater this year has shown some profit despite the heavy expenses (and we still need a piano), but here also we have to think ahead to what role we want it to play in the community. Lectures and concert series have to be revived and new programs for youth have to be considered. Programming of events of general public interest should also be encouraged to keep our public well informed and promote an atmosphere of healthy intellectual debate.

The services of the Biblioteca Pública are invaluable to the San Miguel community. For general information about board membership and the Biblioteca contact me, Ali Zerriffi, at azerriffi@yahoo.com  or Miguel Kegel, the general manager, at gm@bibliotecasma.com . To volunteer, contact Judy Boston at volunteers@bibliotecasma.com