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Maya Educational Foundation |
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| Route 106 / P. O. Box 38 South Woodstock, VT 05071-0038, USA Tel. (802) 457-1199 / Fax (802) 457-2212 mayaedfund@mayaedufound.org |
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Maya Educational Foundation Providing educational opportunities for the Maya
Route 106, P.O. Box 38, South Woodstock, VT 05071, USA Phone: (802) 457-1199; fax: (802) 457-2212;
Report to Contributors 2005 “I was impressed by the importance of the projects MEF supports... I believe that our visits as MEF staff and board members are important to encourage MEF project participants in both Chiapas and Guatemala not to give up on their worthy goals. The effects of persistent poverty, injustice and racism wear people down, making their achievements even more remarkable. Yet, the cultural revitalization movement... is vibrant and spreading. The MEF projects are leaders in this movement.” From Board Member, Christine Eber
Oxlajuj B’atz Completes Second Year of Oxlajuj B’atz, a project of Mayan Hands - Maya Traditions, offers workshops to 300 impoverished Maya weavers in 12 Guatemalan highland communities. Their purpose is to teach women new skills that will help them succeed in their work and improve the quality of their lives, improve their physical and mental health, increase their income, and learn to work cooperatively. The long-term goal of Oxlajuj B’atz is to create a resource center for women weavers and artisans in the Guatemalan Highlands. Because women in remote communities cannot afford doctors or Western medicines, workshops on the use of traditional medicinal herbs have been offered. Also this year, for the first time in their lives, 130 women received thorough medical exams. Workshops on self-esteem, gender and domestic violence are creating an awareness of the value of every person, the important role of women in family and community, and the fact that they do not have to tolerate any kind of violence against themselves or their children. As a way to generate additional income, 35 women have learned the new skill of pine-needle basketry. Women from each village are attending a four-month course to learn to use sewing machines. They will soon be able to sew the woven cloth produced in their villages into products for export, a task previously performed outside their communities.
Sna Jtz’ ibajom Sna Jtz’ ibajom (House of the Writer) is a writer’s collective working since 1983 to improve literacy in Tsotsil and Tseltal, the dominant Mayan languages in the highland communities surrounding San Cristóbal de Las Casas, in Chiapas, Mexico. This year, Sna Jtz’ibajom has provided native literacy classes to 396 students in 24 Tsotsil and Tseltal schools in the municipios (towns) of Chamula, Zinacantán, and Tenejapa. In addition to literacy programs, Sna Jtz’ibajom is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of local traditions through the publication of stories and poetry, occasional radio broadcasts, photographic exhibitions, and theater dramatizations of folk tales, Mayan history and contemporary social issues. This year, 3 plays were presented in 15 communities, Cuando nació el maíz (When Corn Was Born), Trabajadores en el otro mundo (Workers in the Other World), and De todo para todos (Everything for Everyone). The first play describes how the gods give mankind corn as their basic food. The second describes the suffering of the Maya who work in the U.S. The third focuses upon the problem of providing water for everyone. Sna Jtz’ibajom also performed at The Encuentro Nacional de Teatro Comunitario, which is a national meeting of community theaters. It is important because it provides the only opportunity for Mayan actors to see the theatrical work and creativity of other indigenous people. Bi-lingual books that are being published and distributed this year are anthologies of folk tales and descriptions of local culture as well as updated manuals for teaching in Tsotsil and Tseltal. One book in each language consists of contributions by students of the literacy program. These materials are already reaching the communities, where teachers and students are invited to attend the presentation of the books in the Casas de Cultura. This is a stimulus for teachers, students and the general population to appreciate the worth of their language and culture. Sna Jtz’ ibajom is working to create the Instituto de Ciencias y Artes Mayas y Zoque, which was endorsed by President Fox in December 2004. The Instituto, which would become a project of the Universidad Intercultural of Chiapas, plans to have Mayas and Zoques doing research in native science, the arts and language. Its mission is to interweave modern and traditional knowledge and to train individuals to return that knowledge to their own communities. It hopes to have an outreach program so that its activities will become known in the Mayan communities.
A Dream Comes True for FOMMA Dissatisfied with women’s prescribed roles as passive bearers of the Mayan culture, FOMMA (Strength of the Maya Woman) was formed in 1994 by Petrona de la Cruz Cruz and Isabel Juárez Espinosa. Located in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, this organization deals with issues women face in indigenous communities. Their all-women theater group writes award winning plays that are performed throughout Mexico and abroad. FOMMA also offers programs in literacy, art, health and nutrition for women and their children who have fled to the city from Indian villages in an effort to escape political, religious, social, and economic duress. FOMMA also operates small businesses, which, in addition to helping finance their programs, provide job training in sewing, tailoring and bread making. Through generous donations of funds and time, a number of organizations and individuals are helping FOMMA realize a dream—to build a theater of their own! Though small in size—about 100 seats— its purpose is grand, for it is to serve not only for FOMMA’s rehearsals and productions, but as a gathering place for highland Indians to hold meetings, conferences, exhibitions and presentations free of charge. In addition, the theater will be fully equipped with a video archive and viewing center, where weekly video showings are planned. The space will also be available to non-Indian groups for a reasonable fee. Petrona de la Cruz writes:
Chiapas Photography Project (CPP) The main components of the CPP are currently the Archivo Fotografico Indigena/Indigenous Photography Archive (AFI) and Lok’tamayach, Mayan Photographers of Chiapas, both of which are based in San Cristóbal de Las Casas and involve indigenous participants. AFI provides workshops for affiliated photographers and this year has focused on work with the manual camera, black and white processing and printing. Instruction is by the AFI indigenous photographers who staff the Archive. The first semester’s theme was “food” and the second’s has been “altars.” A new technology was introduced in July, when a volunteer visiting artist provided a workshop on digital photography for 2 weeks. The AFI collection will thus now include digital images in addition to the film-based color and black and white materials. Lok’tamayach, the photographers’ own organization, had the benefit this summer of a volunteer consultant for the month of July to work with the core group to identify their needs and strengthen the management of the organization. AFI and Lok’tamayach are eagerly awaiting the forthcoming publication of their latest book, by Genaro Sántiz Gómez, Pox: Un licor tradicional de Chiapas / Posh: A Traditional Liquor from Chiapas (2005). The book includes photographs and texts about an activity that is disappearing as part of the Maya Tsotsil religious and health traditions and practices in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The CPP endowment campaign, aimed at providing sustainability for the Indigenous Photography Archive and Lok’tamayach was started at the end of last year and is beginning to show positive results. Fundraising will continue with events in the US and with the marketing of a limited edition portfolio of photographs. A goal of this CPP fund is to start offering special grants to Mayan photographers as early as 2007. From a board member who recently visited the CPP and the AFI:
Publications The book El machete y la cruz: Sublevación de campesinos en Yucatán by Don E. Dumond, about the caste war of Yucatán, has been translated into Spanish and sent to press. This publication is the result of a collaboration between the Maya Educational Foundation, the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), and the Department of Humanities of the UNAM in Mérida, Yucatán. Scholarship Program News This year, MEF has given 35 scholarships to university students in Guatemala and 24 in Mexico. In the Guatemalan and Mexican university systems, students are required to submit a thesis after formal classes end. The university degree is not official until the thesis is submitted. However, the inability of students to write their theses after graduation is a real problem. Although MEF already offers scholarhip support to students working on the final step in their graduation process, it will continue to explore new ways to help students at this critical stage. This year MEF offered support to 16 students working on their theses. Six students graduated and the others expect to do so in 2006. In Todos Santos, Jacaltenango and Huehuetanago, MEF gave 2 scholarships for elementary school level, 1 scholarship for middle school level and 12 scholarships for high school level. In addition, MEF approved a grant to a Mayan anthropologist to enable her to complete the work necessary to translate and eventually publish her Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Texas in Austin.
Quote from board member who visited FOMMA this Summer:
A MEF scholarship student in a literacy class teaching Tseltal
To achieve our goal of expanding services to under-served communities, this year MEF has been working to develop the following:
News about becados Several students have decided to pursue higher education and are working on masters degrees, with two more ambitious students studying for a doctorate. Graduates have been able to find good jobs after graduating. They work as lawyers, medical doctors, engineers and accountants. Several are elementary or high school teachers. A former MEF becado is now the head of an academic branch of the newly created Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas. After graduating as a lawyer, Marcos Xilon, a former scholarship recipient in Chiapas started working with a UN project aimed at facilitating justice for the indigenous people of Mexico. In Memoriam
We will miss his smiling face, his motivating energy, and his favorite expression: “échenle ganas muchá” (Do it enthusiastically, Guys!). English Language Program The English Language Program grew out of the need for students to know English in order to enhance their careers or pursue studies abroad. In December 2004, a group of 12 US volunteers traveled to La Antigua, Guatemala for two weeks to teach English to two dozen scholarship students. The feedback was positive, from both the students and the teachers, and a second trip is planned for December 2005. The volunteers pay their own transportation, room and board, plus room and board for the students. In preparation for this opportunity, students have been attending English classes on the weekends to improve their skills, polish their accents, and identify their needs. MEF has provided interactive software and dictionaries to FEPMaya for this purpose. Quote from a volunteer from the December 2004 trip: “I think we got more out of it than we were able to give the students.”
CIRMA
Hurricane Stan and MEF’s Programs As this newsletter goes to press, we continue to receive news about the devastation, loss of lives, and suffering caused by rains, flooding, and mudslides in Central America and Southern Mexico. We have been in contact with most of our program partners in the region and can provide the following information to you. As far as we have learned, the scholarship students and their families in Guatemala and Chiapas are unharmed, although there has been some loss of housing and possessions. The most serious losses, however, occurred in the Lake Atitlán area and affected the Tz’utujil people and the people in the Oxlajuj B’atz program (see front page). Many of the 300 women in the program and their families are accounted for. But one complete family died, two women lost their babies, and those who lived in Panabaj and Tzanchaj, towns that are now buried, lost practically everything. The staff from FEPMaya and Oxlajuj B’atz have been organizing and distributing emergency supplies and clothing for those most affected. Visits have been made to Santiago Atitlán, Panabaj and Tzanchaj to assess the situation and provide direct help. CIRMA has been helping with the recovery of Pastores, a town near La Antigua. It is still raining in Guatemala and Chiapas and the ground is saturated with water. It is our goal to assist in making possible long-term recovery from the disaster caused by Hurricane Stan. For the time being, we want to do whatever we can to help get the Oxlajuj B’atz people and program back on their feet. We also want to help more people in the Tz’utujil region and make a special contribution to the education of children in this area. To those ends, we urge your immediate support of one of the following groups: Tax-deductible contributions except as noted: Checks payable to Maya Educational Foundation and mailed to: MEF - Oxlajuj B’atz - Paul Fund - Cajolá Checks payable to Mayan Hands (no tax-deductible contributions) and mailed to: Mayan Hands Checks payable to Friends of Sharing the Dream and mailed to: Diane Nesselhuf Checks payable to UPAVIM Community Development Foundation and mailed to: Barbara Lorraine To help any area affected by the hurricane Checks payable to Rights Action and mailed to: Rights Action To help the recovery of Panajachel and the Lake Atitlán area Checks payable to Acc’t. # 6962046246 How You Can Help There are different ways you can help MEF: by sponsoring an event in your community to bring awareness of our mission
A note about frequent flyer miles Frequent Flyer Miles are a great way to support MEF since they offer travel opportunities for Maya students, scholars and volunteers. This fall, a donor made possible trips for two Maya men, one who traveled to Chicago and another who traveled to France to pursue their studies. A similar contribution will help three Maya women travel to Boston in April of 2006 to present their latest theater production. If you are interested in helping with this kind of support, please contact us. Maya Educational Foundation Route 106, P.O. Box 38, South Woodstock, VT 05071, USA Phone: (802) 457-1199; fax: (802) 457-2212;
MEF is a 501(c)(3) public charity. MEF needs your help to do more for the Maya people. Please print and mail or fax the following form: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Yes! I want to support the Maya Educational Foundation projects Enclosed is my check payable to Maya Educational Foundation in the amount of Please charge my ______ MasterCard ______ VISA in the amount of Credit Card Account No. ___________________________________________ Expiration Date ___________________________________________________ Signature ________________________________________________________ Cardholder’s name ________________________________________________ Phone __________________________________________________________ e-mail __________________________________________________________
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