Current Project:


First Step is currently looking for two volunteers to teach English in Ziquítaro Michoacán for the Winter semester (February – June 2010), the Fall semester (August – December 2010) or both. Volunteers will be teaching English classes to community members of all ages. Classes will take place both in the local public schools as well as in the town center. Volunteers are not required to have a teaching degree, although experience teaching is preferable. Basic Spanish proficiency is required. If you are interested in teaching these semesters or any semester in the future please email Rachel Miers at rachelmiers@gmail.com for more information and/or an application.





Current Fundraiser: Cookbook

Obtaining non-profit status is a slow process so in the meantime we are heading a few fundraising efforts in order to provide the volunteers with a living stipend as well as buy needed classroom materials. As part of a school project, some of English students worked together with Katherine Ferry and Rachel Wickland to compile a bilingual cookbook with some of their favorite recipes (about 15 in total). We are selling the book (which can be sent via email in PDF form) for $12 or I send you a hard copy for $16. All of the proceeds will go directly to the project in Mexico. If you would like to buy a cookbook you can email me your request at rachelmiers@gmail.com (note whether you would like the PDF or hard copy version). I will then give you the address to which you can send a check. Any extra donations are greatly appreciated! Thanks for your help and staying posted with the blog!

Town Profile

Location:
Ziquítaro is located in the central state of Michoacán, Mexico and is roughly one hour and a half driving distance from Michoacán’s capital - Morelia. Ziquítaro is considered a “rancheria” or ranch town as it is a small community which originally developed around a ranch. There is no official sign or paved off ramp for Ziquítaro just a dirt road turnoff on the side of the highway. Ziquítaro is located about 5 kilometers (three miles) away from the highway.

Commerce & Population:
With the exception of small family run convenience stores operated out of houses, Ziquítaro boasts no established commerce as employment opportunities are minimal. A majority of the town is dedicated to sustenance agricultural production. While many town members work in  the neighboring town six kilometers away, the majority choose to immigrate to the United States, their primary destinations being California and Texas. It is estimated that 2000- 3000 of the town's 4000 members are living and working in the US. Consequently, a large portion of family income is derived from remittances - the money sent from those working in the US. Due to this out-migration o Ziquítaro is inhabited primarily by women, children and the elderly.

Educational Opportunities:
Ziquítaro offers public schooling from kindergarten to junior high. The nearest high school is located a short bus ride away in a neighboring town. The junior high is a “tele-secundaria” literally translating to “TV junior high”.  This educational program, which began in 1968, was enacted as an attempt to bring enhanced educational opportunities to impoverished rural communities. The telesecundaria program uses minimal resources as lessons are imparted through televised lesson plans which are sent to the schools via satellite and shown to students with the guidance of a Procter. Junior high, and in many cases elementary school, is often the last formal education the town’s children receive as immigration becomes a viable and attractive possibility once a student turns 14.

Religion:
The majority of the town members are catholic thus allowing for the church to assume a central role in the community. The town’s priest, Manuel Vazquez Rubio, has been working in the community for two years and has enlivened the town with his religious sermons as well as his work and supportive presence in the community. Much activity and energy revolves around the town’s religious festivities which span from December to January. The importance of the festivities are reflected by the significant increase in town population; on average over 1000-1500 town members return from the US to visit family members and take part in the communal religious celebrations, causing the town’s population to nearly double.



Monday, September 15, 2008

The Classes Continue!

This past weekend my father and I traveled to Ziquítaro to introduce the new volunteers – Katherine and Rachel – to the town. The trip was a success as the girls were placed with their host family, presented to the community and the student researchers, given a tour of the municipality and attended various meeting all in three short days.

After driving on the highway for a few hours we took the unmarked turn to Ziquítaro – the girls’ eyes widened as “rural” and “isolated” became a reality. Upon arrival we had a welcome lunch with the Priest, Crystal and Jessica (student researchers) as well as the community members who will be aiding us in the project. The girls then moved into their new home – an upstairs unit of a family’s house right off of the main plaza. With a wonderful host family, a view of the “ojo de agua” (a natural water spring) and a garden filled with bougainvillea and fruit trees the girls couldn't complain. We then went on a walking to tour the town.

The landscape was a beautiful green dotted with wildflowers- quite a change for me as I am used to the dry aired landscape of Ziquítaro in spring. More invigorating than the landscape was the reaction of the community members to our arrival. Every street we turned on we were greeted by children and community members, ecstatic for the start of classes. Apparently ever since Michel and I left Ziquítaro town members have rung the Priest’s doorbell daily asking about the start of classes. News traveled fast and by the next day everyone knew that we had kept our promise and that classes indeed would continue.

The last day was filled with meetings in which the initiation of the classes was planned – a difficult task to coordinate in a town where word of mouth and a loudspeaker are the only practiced means of communication. While their “welcome” was only a few short days, judging from the town’s reaction I am confident that the girls will have great success immersing themselves in the community. The English classes began this past Wednesday and according to Rachel and Katherine everyone is excited and ready to learn. I couldn’t have asked for a better beginning to this next phase of the project.

The blog will be updated every week with posts written by Rachel Wickland and Katherine Ferry (current volunteers). I will also post updates about our progress in obtaining NGO status.

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