Michoacan, Mexico Debriefing Report
The project in Michoacán continues to move smoothly along! The weekend of the 21st and 22nd of July we had two regional midterms where Volunteers had the opportunity to share what they were doing in their communities and to compare effective classroom, meeting, and project techniques. They also had time to contact their friends and family in the United States via telephone and internet. All the Volunteers appreciated the time to touch base with home and with their fellow Volunteers.
One week later, on the 30th of July, the mayor’s office of La Piedad hosted us for the Second Annual Ecological Fair, a gathering where all of our communities present what they have been doing to help the environment. The projects presented this year were excellent and ranged from water treatment plans to community gardens. Third prize, twenty T-shirts and AMIGOS bracelets, went to the community of San Jose de Maluco in Angamacutiro for their crafts project and books made of recycled materials. Second prize, basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, nets, and school supplies for fifty children, went to the community of Gil in Tlazazalca for their community garden. First prize, a day trip to the state capital, and all the tools and plants needed for a community garden, went to El Fresno of Villa Morelos for their skit on the importance of trash collection, costumes and masks made of recycled materials, and amaranth plants. All of the participating communities will be receiving fifty fruit trees and the containers needed to implement a plastic recycling program. In addition to sharing ideas and awarding prizes, we were also able to collect over 2,000 books for two communities, Zaragoza and La Quemada, which are starting community libraries. We also raised over one hundred dollars towards El Fresno’s children’s park by selling T-shirts and bracelets.
The Volunteers are still working hard in their communities. Classes have been going strong, and Volunteers are teaching on everything from the fly cycle to leadership skills. As the summer comes to a close, many of the Volunteers are reviewing the information covered in their classes and doing closing projects with their students. The Community-Based Initiatives are also wrapping up. This year the communities have come up with excellent projects. Trash cans, water chlorification systems, libraries, community gardens, playgrounds and clinics have all been made with the support of AMIGOS and other donors. The communities themselves have raised over $5,500 USD, not including donations received from government agencies and other entities. Communities have worked incredibly hard to mobilize their own resources and we have been very impressed by their generous and creative contributions. Their participation has definitely touched all of our hearts.
Over the next few days, as the Volunteers finish up in their communities, they will be reflecting on what they have accomplished and how they have changed over the past few weeks. This reflection will continue during our debriefing, where we will go to the town of Pátzcuaro, well known for it’s local artesanía and beautiful lake. Volunteers will have the opportunity to shop for souvenirs, visit local archeological sites and go on some short hikes. We will discuss the transition back to the United States and return to Guadalajara so that Volunteers can catch their homecoming flight. Although it will be sad to see them all go, I’m sure that their memories of and connection to Michoacán will have a life-long positive effect.
