Feed the Hungry Reaches Out to Five More Ranchos
By Mary Murrell
Photos by Billie Mercer, June 22, 2007

Years ago on a visit to San Miguel I took a bus trip to a neighboring town. The countryside was empty of most signs of habitation once we got beyond Presa Allende, with very few houses or even electric lines. On the return trip to San Miguel the sun was low in the sky. We stopped along the road to let passengers off at places with no signs, no lights and no houses.

I still remember thinking, “Where are they going?” Little girls in fancy first communion dresses, men in cowboy hats with polished boots, women with bundles and bags descended the bus steps and disappeared into the twilight. It was a mystery to me. What was down those narrow paths through the brush or roads that were really only tire tracks?

Now, after three years of working as a Feed the Hungry volunteer, I know where they were going. They were going to ranchos, small clusters of one-room dwellings where no signs name the communities. Or they were walking to ranchos where there may be many families spread out over the hills, a church and a school.

A few of the ranchos have kindergartens run by the state. Many just have elementary schools, sometimes with one or two teachers responsible for grades 1 through 6. And the larger ranchos like La Campana or Palo Colorado have kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, too.

This is where I’ve found the other part of San Miguel, the part I think of as the real Mexico, what a famous anthropologist has called “Mexico Profundo.” Here people are untouched by the modern features of San Miguel, the expensive houses and sophisticated restaurants. In the ranchos things like DVDs or pizza are not available or at least they are quite rare. 

Families live in the same house or on the same land where they have been for generations. Some of the older people still speak Otomí or Chichimeca dialects. Children know all the plants in the campo and what they are used for - to cure an upset stomach or a headache. Little girls leave school each day and take up their responsibilities for child care, carrying sisters or cousins on their hips. Everyone in the rancho knows the spot where a bad man was killed when he started a fight he could not win or the house where the school teacher grew up. There are ruins of chapels and haciendas, even the remains of pre-Hispanic structures. And the boundary of the ejido, the communal property set up after the revolution, is not marked, but can be pointed out by even the youngest child.

Today, for the first time, the number of Feed the Hungry kitchens in the ranchos exceeds the number within the city of San Miguel.. By the end of the year, 60 percent of our kitchens will be in ranchos.

We build our kitchens on school grounds in order to combine good nutrition with school attendance. At 10:30am, when recess starts, the students line up to wash their hands and take their plates of hot lentils, soy, beans and vegetables from the cooks, women from the village employed by Feed the Hungry. After a new kitchen opens the number of students often increases from 10 to 20 percent and the boys and girls come to class more regularly because they can eat.

In April we opened a new kitchen in Flores de Begona, a group of houses on the edge of Presa Allende. Most of the jobs in the village are in small brickyards where men, women and children (sometimes very small children) work to make bricks. The elementary school has 100 students and there are 30 kindergarten children. When we opened the kitchen in April, there was a lot of excitement as the children tried the food from the new cocina. I am always amazed at how much food even the very smallest of children can consume….two or three plates full! 

We always do our due diligence about the villages to decide where the new cocinas will be built. We look for ranchos where there are no other food programs, few jobs and the children are very small for their age. Often we find problems with water supplies too—wells have gone dry or water is not stored in sanitary conditions. Water dictates a lot of life in these places; women walk long distances each day to get water in plastic containers and then walk back to their homes. Bathing is a luxury and clean water coming out of a faucet is an exciting novelty for children to see at our kitchens. In many of the ranchos we install water storage tanks and a pump to keep the kitchens supplied every day. 

Another thing we look for is whether there is a bus to San Miguel and back each day. Some ranchos are almost inaccessible without four-wheel drive and there is either no bus service or the bus only comes once a day. Even though it may require a long walk (an hour or more) to catch a bus to San Miguel, access to jobs outside of the rancho makes a huge difference in the economic situation. 

In August, when the new school year begins, Feed the Hungry will open two more kitchens in remote villages. They will be the first built with commercial construction materials (concrete pad, steel frame and panels for walls) and both have gray water systems to filter and distribute the water from the kitchen to trees on the school ground. In Clavellinas we will have our biggest kitchen,. 220 elementary school boys and girls and 80 kindergarten children will eat each day. Our cooks will have to prepare food for two shifts of classes. There are not enough classrooms, so half of the students come in the morning and half in the afternoon. 

After we open the kitchen in Clavellinas and another new kitchen in Peñon de los Baños, we will begin work in Pozo de Balderas and La Palmilla. As we expand into more ranchos we are very happy to know we will be feeding 1000 more children by the end of 2007. We are looking for sponsors for these kitchens, generous and caring donors who will make a commitment to provide funding to pay for the food for the children and salaries for the cooks.

So on your next trip to Querétaro or Guanajuato or some other town outside of San Miguel, be sure to notice all the dirt roads branching off of the pavement and the narrow trails through the grass and cactus. There are an amazing number of them. And when you see a small group of women and children get off of a bus and start their long walk home, remember they could be from a rancho where there is a Feed the Hungry kitchen with two women from the village who cook each school day. And in those ranchos, regular nutritious food is helping hungry little boys and girls grow stronger, healthier and encouraging them to come to school. 

Feed the Hungry is a nonprofit corporation in the US and Mexico and contributions are tax deductible. A donation of US$65 will feed a hungry young girl or boy for an entire year. On July 13 you can help the children by joining us at our Fiesta of Life, cocktails and dinner with Patricia Quintana—one of the most famous chefs in Mexico. For more information please visit our website at www.feedthehungrysma.org or call Mary Murrell, President of the Board of Trustees at 152-2402.

St. Paul’s Patronal Festival: Looking back at “The Mission Years” 
By Herbert M. Baker

The first services of the church that would become St. Paul’s were held in April, 1959, arranged by Bishop Saucedo, who brought Anglican services to English-language communities. It was Rev. Allen T. Green who came to “to survey the field” and hold services which approximately 20 attended.

A mailing list of about 30 winter residents had been compiled which Green used to send notify parishioners of upcoming services. These notices have been a great help in compiling this historical account. 

The most important step toward formalizing St. Paul’s was taken by a Father Partrick who trained lay readers to hold morning prayer on the Sundays he was not here. He suggested the group seek a suitable lecture room, and members shared responsibilities to keep the services going. The Instituto Allende offered a regular room and parishioners provided a lectern, an altar, an antique wooden cross and kneeling cushions made out of burro pads covered with a fabric called cambaya. 

By December, 1964, the mission was organized under the name St. Paul’s Mission. Original vestry member Laurance Wilkinson, an architect who specialized in churches, was asked to design a church building by Father Partrick and to base this design on both the Episcopal tradition and the colonial nature of San Miguel.

Negotiations for the purchase of a site on Calle Cardo began and funds were quickly raised. 

By December 11, the Church was nearly completed. Partrick conducted the first service in the new building, a requiem for Nelson Taylor, one of the most ardent founders. Through the years attendance and interest has shown a steady increase.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was accepted as the second congregation in this diocese to become a parish in1968. The members have every reason to be proud of what they have accomplished, they have built a beautiful church and parish hall, produced two candidates for ordination, have called a full-time minister and accepted full responsibilities as a parish.

“I find this modest account of the work of a devoted laity inspiring, and pray that the future life of St. Paul’s will fulfill the promises of its beginning.”

The Rt. Rev. José G. Saucedo

“Lessons I Will Take with Me Wherever I Go”—CASA’s International Internship Program
By Sharon Steeber de Orozco

This summer marks the 22nd year that CASA—Centro para los Adolescentes de San Miguel—has offered its International Internship Program to eager and inspired volunteers from a variety of countries.

These students experience the unique challenges and opportunities that working in another culture brings. CASA, founded in 1981, has served thousands of people throughout Guanajuato with its clinics, hospital, midwifery school, preschool and family planning services.

Interns, who arrive throughout the year, donate a minimum of 10 weeks, working full time in one of CASA’s programs—learning about herbs from midwives, helping produce radio programs on human rights, assisting youth counselors who talk in rural villages about family planning, or helping in the hospital or in the preschool.

Hurdles to leap

Such responsibilities inevitably bring challenges. Liz Potter came to CASA in 2006. One of her biggest challenges was learning the differences in nursing practices between the United States and Mexico. “CASA’s workers were welcoming, generous, supportive and humorous,” she says. “I learned so much from them, everything from how to hear heartbeats with a fetoscope to making churros with soy flour!”

Xuan Hoang, also an intern last summer, had just finished her second year at Harvard. She previously worked for a Boston organization on ways to break the link between poverty and poor health. For Xuan, the biggest challenge was adjusting to the pace of life in San Miguel. “I was used to the fast-paced life of a college student and had always lived by my planner,” she reports. It took her a while, but she did learn to adapt to a more tranquil and relaxed rhythm.

Anya Maddow-Zimet, a 2006 intern and graduate of Wesleyan University, worked for a community service organization in the Bronx. While here, she coauthored chapters on human rights and gender for CASA’s manual for peer counselors.

Bryna Koch worked for CASA during the last stages of her Masters in Public Health from the University of Arizona, Tucson. She already had spent two years with the Peace Corps in Panama. She says, “It was personally difficult explaining the current situation regarding migration policy and treatment of migrants in the United States, especially in a town that supports a significant number of US migrant retirees. This topic came up often, especially after telling people I lived in Arizona.”

Memories that delight

Their months of work often touch interns with surprising and humorous memories. Xuan remembers the delight she took in visits to rural communities. “I loved talking to community members; they were very kind and welcoming. I was able to learn so much about their daily lives and customs and was able to share many of my own. The señoras and the kids would always ask me to teach them words in Vietnamese. I would do so, and they would try to repeat what I said. We would always end up laughing so much our cheeks would hurt. One time they even had me sing in Vietnamese!”

Liz Potter remembers with admiration a nurse at CASA, “She was giving me a lesson in how to start an IV line. We went over the procedure, and then she placed her hand in front of me, and said, ‘Practice on me.’ Such dedication and generosity from a teacher is not easy to forget.”

Anya recalls an incident during her first hours at CASA. After the morning meeting, everyone broke into separate training groups. She ended up in a group of all men—in fact, 17-year-old men. They went to work and immediately pulled out a very big picture of the male reproductive system. She says, “I found myself blushing and getting embarrassed. But they were so serious in their discussion, and no one smiled. I was surprised because I was older than they were but not used to being around 17-year-olds so much more mature than I.”

Bryna especially remembers a casual event where friendship and good food came together not long after she arrived at CASA. Fittingly, it was el Día de la Amistad—Valentine’s Day—and she was at a party in the home of a peer counselor. “We were sitting on plastic chairs and buckets,” she recalls, “around a table with a stack of warm tortillas and all the works, especially my favorite, rajas”—a simple but perfect time among new friends.

Practical experiences they still use

No matter what form of service they render, the interns feel the experience has been a huge advantage in the work they are now doing or plan to do in their home countries. Liz Potter credits her experience at CASA as fundamental in preparing her for the Nurse-Midwifery program at the University of California in San Francisco. “First, folks at CASA taught me obstetrical Spanish which I use every day with my patients here—we work primarily with Mexican and Central American immigrants in the public hospital. I learned from them that you don’t need a lot of high-tech equipment to have a safe, well-managed birth.”

Anya now works as a paralegal at “The Homeless Rights Project,” a legal aid society in Boston. One of the most valuable things she learned at CASA was how to relate to people of different backgrounds and how to learn from them. She says, “…stepping out of my comfort zone is something I had to do often at CASA. I got better at approaching people from different backgrounds, talking to them, getting them to open up to me.”

This summer Xuan will travel to Santiago, Chile, to do advocacy work for children with cancer. She rates her time at CASA as one that has strengthened her desire to work in medicine and public health. “CASA has taught me a lot about the importance of outreach work, about people and about building relationships. These are lessons I will take with me wherever I go.”

For more information about CASA and its International Internship Program, go to www.casa.org.mx.  CASA also offers one- and two-week Study Tours featuring academic lectures about public health in Mexico and related topics.

Note: To commemorate a quarter century of community work, CASA will sponsor an open house and celebration on August 5. Everyone is welcome.

Sharon Steeber de Orozco served as a volunteer coordinator of CASA’s International Internship Program in 1998.







PASSING ON THE MAGIC
By José Luis Mendoza

Illustrator, writer, painter and musician Honorio Robledo presents his books in Sala Quetzal June 27 at 4pm. Born in Tenancinango Mexico, Robledo grew up in a number of small villages in Veracruz, Chiapas and the Matlazinca mountains.

“My family travelled a good deal when I was a child and I came in contact with many magnificent craft workers who taught me how to use this magical tool called my hands.” He admits he was a very meddling child and the artisans would give him bits of whatever they were working on—wood, fabrics, paper—to keep him busy and out of their way. 

“Eventually I became an assistant of sorts, which worked out very well for me because they would give me the leftovers and I would make wooden toys, wallets, shoes, masks and all kinds of things that kids like.”

These experiences were invaluable to his future work, “because in my eyes, the knowledge of one’s hands is the first step towards art.”

The fiestas, the many musicians in his family, the wonderful storytelling abilities of his grandmothers also formed his inheritance and these are the stories he tells now, the music he plays. “I met so many interesting people, from old revolutionaries to fierce shamans. In my eyes, in any child’s eyes, these legendary beings leave a very powerful impression.”

“When I paint I enter into what could be called a state of meditation and when I draw it’s different. The same thing happens when I play the guitar; every job has its own dynamics and its own strengths.” Dreams are another path he travels. “In my dreams, I have found many of my paintings. Two of my books also came from my dreams. My childhood, my dreams, full of miracles, have given me my creations.”

Robledo studied literature at UNAM, “but painting, etching, ceramics and music I learned in different workshops with very talented teachers who taught me everything I know.”

Among his many achievements, Robledo admits he is proudest of the IPPY award he received for his illustration in El Cucuy;, as a percussionist, the experience of playing with Miguel Bose here in Mexico while he was on his world tour; as a jaranero, playing his song “Mañanitas a la Candelaria” in Tlacopan and as a writer, seeing children enjoy his stories and lectures. “I think the path of art is already a reward in itself. And a great gift.”

In response to having his work described as “magical realism,” Robledo says he is flattered to be included in the realm of Gabriel García Márquez, credited with bringing this genre to world notice, “but really, my work comes from real life experiences and I consider it an obligation to return what was offered to me. Ideally my paintings would appear in a calendar that the pueblo bakeries and tiendas would distribute.”

Robledo’s books, Bemberecua, El Cucuy, Nico Visita la Luna, Dog Child and Supercilantro Girl are all readily available.

Mentors sought to help Jóvenes ¡Adelante! university students
By Sue Beere and Phyllis Culp

We all remember at least a few people in our lives who gave us encouragement, opened a door we didn’t know existed, or guided us to a simple solution we’d overlooked. These were people who took an interest and shared their different life experiences with us. These were our mentors and they made a difference in our lives.

If you would like to make a difference in the life of a local student, consider becoming a mentor to one of the 32 university students from low-income families in the San Miguel area who are receiving scholarships from Jóvenes ¡Adelante! 

Formed in 2001, Jóvenes ¡Adelante! has students in 10 different universities throughout Mexico, two in the United States, and boasts 10 graduates with degrees in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, education, accounting and law. Students are selected from the top of their graduating class, based on financial need, to receive a US$1,000 annual scholarship throughout their university careers. “Because of the relatively low cost of a university education in Mexico, the scholarship covers many of the expenses at a public university or most of the tuition at a private school,” said founder and past President Virginia Wheelwright. “Most students work to raise the remaining funds and some also help their families,” she added.

When Alejandro Hernández Vázquez was about to graduate from high school, he had dreams of studying electronic engineering in college, but no idea where he would find the money. “My father had not been able to go to school, but wanted all his children to have a good education,” Hernández said. “I could hardly believe it when Jóvenes ¡Adelante! offered to help me pay for college.” After five years of studying at the Universidad Tecnológico de Querétaro and returning weekends to work at the rancho near San Miguel where he lives, Hernández is studying robotics while finishing his degree this summer. He is also helping put his younger brothers and sisters through school.

You can get to know one of the other Jóvenes ¡Adelante! students by becoming a mentor to a budding accountant, computer systems engineer, primary education teacher, lawyer, nutritionist or orthodontist. To be a Jóvenes ¡Adelante! mentor, volunteers need only have a genuine interest in the success of a student and the willingness to meet one-on-one with that student once a month for an hour, or possibly develop an email correspondence for the times either the mentor or the student is away. 

Mentors will be asked to send a monthly confidential email to a Jóvenes ¡Adelante! ombudsperson describing the student’s progress. If any problem areas or special needs are causing concern or impeding the student’s success, the resources of Jóvenes ¡Adelante! will be available to help the mentor and student address them. If a student is struggling in a subject at school, the committee will help find a tutor. If a student would benefit from having a laptop computer during those long bus rides to school, the committee will try to find one.

There will be an orientation meeting in July, and general meetings in November and March for all mentors to share experiences and further develop mentoring skills. Language proficiencies of mentors and students will be matched to assure good communication, as will interests and career paths. A one-year commitment is requested, although ideally mentors will continue with their student throughout the student’s university experience.

Applications are available at the Biblioteca, La Conexión, Border Crossings, and Solutions, or by emailing jovenesadelante@gmail.com. Applications should be returned by July 8 to La Conexión, Aldama 3, Box 49A. Mentors will be selected in early July, in time for the orientation meeting.

“When these youngsters succeed—and they do succeed against all odds—the lives of their families are enhanced, including the future lives of their own children and grandchildren,” says founder Bob Hesdorfer, adding, “not least, Mexico gains the skilled professionals it so desperately needs in its struggle to develop as a country.”





The ultimate makeover

For the kids in Mexico it means going to college. For you it might mean a half hour with a beauty artist. Sign up for your makeover and help send local kids to college.Help give the needy kids of Mexico the ultimate life makeover—a scholarship to college—and get a beauty makeover for yourself in the process. Jovenes Adelantes invites you to spend a half hour with Taylor Korobow, a San Francisco beauty and fashion consultant, casting director and acting/media coach, and emerge a new you. 

Best of all, all proceeds—sessions are just 475 pesos for hair and makeup—go directly to Jovenes Adelantes’ scholarship fund. If your wardrobe needs a little kick in the pants, Taylor invites you to bring your favorite wardrobe pieces to the session for a little re-mixing and matching. Hair/makeup and wardrobe consultations are just 550 pesos. San Miguel is all about helping where you can while enjoying a little relaxation and rejuvenation for yourself. A hair and makeup makeover might just be the finishing touch you’re looking for. Makeovers take place on July 7 and 8 at Bajada del Chorro 11 at the corner of Recreo and Bajada del Chorro right across from the Casa de Sierra Nevada at Parque Juarez and the lavaderos. Call Taylor for your appointment: 152-0918. 

Jane Welch
By Melanie Nance and Patricia Chaarte

This past May 10, Jane Welch died. She was a longtime resident of San Miguel and always active in town affairs.

Jane was born in 1925 in Pennsylvania. From a very early age, she wanted to be a musician, but her father, a professor of languages, insisted that she first get a degree in an academic subject, and then go on to a musical career, if that is what she wanted. That’s what she did.

During her working life, she held day jobs—as a social worker, as an employment counselor—but she always sang. Mostly at night, mostly in supper clubs, sometimes accompanying herself on the guitar.

When she retired and came to San Miguel in the early ‘80s, she founded the choir at St. Paul’s, which she directed for about four years. A few of us have had the pleasure of listening to a tape of the young Jane singing operatic arias in a voice that was a beautifully clear, sweet, and emotion-laden soprano.

Besides music, Jane’s other passion was animals. She very early became involved with the Sociedad Protectora de Animales, first as a volunteer, then as a board member, and ultimately as director from 1995 to 2002. She was always a most generous contributor—some US$200,000 during her lifetime—and left the SPA a parcel of land in her will. Besides contributing to the organization, she adopted many of her pets from there. At her death she had five dogs and about as many cats, her favorite being Amy, an ancient cat with only one functioning eye.

Jane was also there whenever she saw someone in need of help. There are at least two women in town whose rather low salaries she subsidized for years. She saved one woman’s business from going belly up. Her office machines had been stolen, and when Jane heard about it, she immediately called the woman to ask if she needed anything. The businesswoman was unable to replace the big ticket item, a computer. “Get whatever you need,” Jane told her. “It doesn’t matter how much it costs, I’ll pay for it.”

Jane will be remembered for all of her good works for the community. She’ll also be remembered and missed for her regal bearing, her precise diction, her uncanny ability to remember dates, and her ready sense of humor. We have lost a good friend and a valuable member of the community.







College preparatory to open in San Miguel
By Nancy Bohné

Summertime may be a time to relax for kids but for many parents the weeks between the last day of school in June and the first in August are filled with thoughts, plans and concerns about the next step in their children’s education.

When Lisa Wright faced this problem she looked into many options and came to the conclusion that there is a need to be filled right in San Miguel For those who prefer not to relocate or make the commute to Queretaro or Celaya, but would still like to provide their children with a truly quality education here in town, a bilingual college preparatory school is nowhere to be found.

So Wright got to work and formed the Sierra Madre Bilingual Secondary and Preparatory School, for grades 7 – 12. It is the only program in town to offer a combined Mexican and US curriculum. The Spanish language curriculum, Prepa Abierta, exceeds government standards as does the US award winning curriculum from Texas Tech University in which 1300 students are already enrolled.

The well-rounded curriculum includes a strong English and Spanish program that emphasizes analyzing complex literature and strong composition skills; the science and math program includes physics, chemistry and biology, geometry, algebra and calculus. Students will learn Mexican and US history as well as world history and philosophy. They will also be exposed to fine arts and art appreciation. “These subjects are, of course, studied in university, but students who have had previous exposure to higher level course work are at an educational advance.”

Sierra Madre Prep is located on a nearby ranch with mountain views and beautiful gardens “Thanks to Colegio Campestre Montessori, we have this wonderful location within a traditional Mexican ranch community. It seems worlds away from the crowded streets and sidewalks of San Miguel, but the campus is not far from town and the school provides private bus service. It’s quiet, tranquil and promotes a sense of communion with nature,” said Wright.

She emphasized that although they are seeking to create a relaxed atmosphere for learning, a low student to teacher ratio and plenty of room for individuality, their primary goal is to prepare their students for university.

“The school has selected experienced enthusiastic professors who are capable of creating an atmosphere of respect for learning. “We are going for quality not quantity. Classes are small and will be taught by qualified teachers,” said Wright. “This is a dual diploma program. Students can earn valid credits in both countries without having to duplicate the course work. In other words, their work is accredited by Mexico and by Texas.” 

Good communication and organizational skills will be encouraged in their students. “We respect and understand that adolescence is a time when young people exercise their individuality, but we also recognize that the way students present themselves and communicate with others will be very important in both their social and professional lives. Ultimately we want our students to graduate not only with a strong education but with confidence and a sense of accomplishment.”

Sierra Madre Prep has begun the long, laborious process of accreditation and will use in the meantime, accrediting agencies in Mexico and the US which will individually evaluate the student’s work and provide official transcripts.

“This is extremely important as many colleges will not accept students who did not attend an accredited preparatory school.” Wright explained that although students can pursue these programs on their own, many would find it difficult without the help of qualified instructors. 

“Some parents may feel that this system of evaluation puts too much pressure on the students, and I wouldn’t recommend it for young children, but for older students it can be very beneficial,” she said. “A sense of direct responsibility for their studies, their attitude and their work habits promotes self confidence.” 

Outside evaluation frees the school from having to give exams or grades and parents and teachers are viewed as facilitators and coaches, but never as antagonists. “There are many advantages to this system,” said Wright, “including an honest evaluation of the work done, consistent high standards imposed on the school and a comfort level for parents in knowing exactly where their child stands academically – there’s no room for misleading grade inflation.”

Wright’s advice to parents is to consider the following this list of questions:

1. Is my child likely to go to university? 

2. Does my child’s school program fulfil the admission requirements of the universities under consideration? 

3. Are the instructors qualified? 

4. Will my child’s coursework be recognized by other institutions such as universities, or in the case of relocation, by other preparatory schools? 

5. If your child’s credits are not officially accredited, what costs, time and preparation will be involved in correcting the situation? 

6. How long has the school been in existence? 

7. How many students have graduated from the program? 

8. What percentage of those graduates have gone on to university? 

9. Into which universities were their graduates accepted?

“Asking these questions in advance will prevent misunderstandings and unfulfilled expectations in the future,” said Wright.

Sierra Madre Prep will open its doors on August 21. Tuition will be US$300 per month, but there are other costs involved with the accrediting agencies. The Mexican government provides these services at a reasonable rate, but the US rates are a bit higher. 

“We have struggled between what is best for the students and what is affordable for families. We hope to have sponsors in the future to help with tuition costs.

For more information, or a tour of the school, contact Director Lisa Wright at 120-4884 or at sierramadrehighschool@yahoo.com