By Stephanie Ahlgrain | Fundraising and Alliances Coordinator
Ten months have now passed since the initial emergency after the earthquake in Central Mexico on September 19, 2018. Things in Tultitán are back to normal now, with the Amextra Community Center focusing on the usual activities of elementary and middle school tutoring, adult education, computer classes and English classes.
In the last two months there have been two exciting new additions to the program in Tultitlán. First, the community garden has started to flourish and take form. In March, a bare plot of land beside the soccer field was weeded and prepared for more than a dozen new vegetables, herbs and fruits to be planted. The plants, such as mint, strawberries, zucinni, beets, blackberries and strawberries bring families into contact with fresh, locally grown ingredients that are otherwise not readily available in Tultitlán. This garden serves as a model for community members to implement in their homes. María José, shown in the photos below, is one of the first commuity members who has decided to grow vegetables at home. As with many families in Tultitán, she has limited space outside her home as it is built on a steep hill. To overcome this challenge, she has built her garden in a 3 foot by 3 foot plot of land she was able to clear, plus a few species planted in old tires and wood crates. Even her 4-year old nephew wanted to participate, and now has his special area which he is in charge of caring for!
The other exciting new initiative in Tultitlán is the beginning of an income generation project. On July 19, 2018, the Comercial Branch of Amextra as well as a natural product expert provided the first training on creating the base for herbal shampoos, creams and other natural health and beauty products. 20 women participated in this first training and are interested in creating a variety of different products. As you may know, Amextra has also worked with a group of very hardworking women in Lomas de San Isidro, State of Mexico in a similar, very successful project! We are planning an exchange experience within the next few months so that the women from Tultitlán can ask the women from the Xanatl Tlapantli Collective about their experience being entrepreneurs. This new income generation project in Tultitlán will require the participation of many people and also the capital to make it happen. If you believe in this project, consider making a donation!
We are so excited to include you as part of the community that believes in Amextra and cares about families in Tultitlán. If you have any questions or comments about news from Tultitlán, we´d love to hear from you! You can email me at stephanie@amextra.org.
Warmly,
Stephanie
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