With you, it is possible Amigos de San Cristobal

We present to you the most outstanding activities that have taken place at Amigos in the last months. It has been several months in which we are already seeing Amigos organizations execute their project’s , in which we have continued to cultivate links with other organizations such as Comunalia, Cemefi , La Enseñanza Casa de la Ciudad, Equitach and the University of Indiana, we have continued working with giving circles, and we have produced several materials to facilitate our work in raising awareness and disseminating the theme of community philanthropy, We have also continued to work with the giving circles , producing various materials to help us raise awareness and disseminate the theme of community phi lanthropy, such as a video and other written materials , and we have continued to invite different sectors of society to join our project and participate as actor s of change.

Amigo Organizations 2024:

The organizations that will receive funding in 2024, and to which we will be doing in accompaniment, monitoring and follow-up are:

Hogar Comunitario Yach´il Antzetik A.C.

Project name: "Comprehensive and violence-free development for women with unplanned pregnancies, single mothers, children and adolescents at risk and marginalized".

Project location: San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

Projected beneficiaries: 205 women, 35 children, 700 adolescents and 120 people from the general population.

General objective: Promote the denormalization of violence against women, children and adolescents, early pregnancies and addictions.

Tierra Roja Cuxtitali A.C.

Project name: "Agroecological communities for good living".

Project location: Colonia Prudencio Moscoso, in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

Projected beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries: 123 people and indirect beneficiaries: 3,800 people.

General objective: Transmit to the new generations an awareness of self-care, collective care, and preservation of our mother nature through the practice of a set of learning through culture, agroecology, art, and local flavors and knowledge.

PROMEDIOS de Comunicación Comunitaria A.C.

Project name: "El Fogón de las Palabras: laboratory of community stories".

Project location: Larráinzar, Chenalhó, Zinacantán and San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

Projected beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries: 92 people and indirect beneficiaries: 1,200 people.

General objective: Strengthen, through a series of workshops, the practical, critical and creative audio skills of the direct beneficiaries, for the creation of local narratives that promote a culture of peace, dialogue, tolerance, healthy eating, community health, agriculture, defense of the territory and good coexistence practices.

JOVENARTE (Jóvenes Articulando Territorios) A.C.

Project name: "Agroecological youth for good living in Mitontic and Huixtán Chiapas".

Project location: Mitontic and Huixtán.

Projected beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries: 30 people —students and teachers — and indirect beneficiaries: 120 people —family members—.

General objective: Contribute to strengthen the transmission of knowledge about agricultural production through the agroecological approach based on the co-responsibility of environmental care and preservation of traditional agricultural knowledge with young people from Mitontic and Huixtán, Chiapas.

Agua y Vida: Mujeres, Derechos y Ambiente A.C.

Project name: "We want water: towards the strengthening of women in participatory water management in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas".

Project location: San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

Projected beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries: 150 people — water and environmental defenders and collaborators of environmental organizations— and indirect beneficiaries: 450 people.

General Objective: Strengthen the personal and collective power of women environmentalists in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, through ecofeminist training and information, which allows the construction of processes for the defense of the right to water. 

Formación y Capacitación A.C. (FOCA)

Project name: "Strengthening of apprentices in traditional Tseltal midwifery, from a gender, intercultural and rights-based approach".

Project location: San Juan Cancuc, Ocosingo, Chanal, Oxchuc and Tenejapa.

Projected beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries: 25 people and indirect beneficiaries: 104 people.

General objective: Strengthen, through an intercultural and women's rights perspective, the defense of traditional midwifery with young and adult midwifery apprentices in the highlands and jungle.

Centro de Formación Integral para Promotores Indígenas A.C. (CEFIPI)

Project name: "Community environmental education for soil and water conservation in Santa Cruz Yaxté and Piquinte'el".

Project location: Pantelhó.

Projected beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries: 66 and indirect beneficiaries: 380.

General objective: Promote soil and water conservation in the communities of Santa Cruz Yaxté and Piquinte'el through comprehensive training in community environmental education.

Melel Xojobal A.C.

Project name: "Protagonist participation for the exercise of the right to education of working children in San Cristobal de Las Casas".

Project location: San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

Target beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries: 125 —working children from three public markets and their mothers and fathers— and indirect beneficiaries: 520 friends and family members.

General objective: Promote access to the right to education for indigenous working children from 5 to 11 years of age, through support and awareness-raising actions to prevent educational backwardness.

IDEAS, Información y Diseños Educativos Para Acciones Saludables, A.C., CH’IELTIL

Project name: "Socio-emotional education for Mayan children, adolescents and youth to promote school retention".

Project location: Chenalhó and San Juan Cancuc.

Projected beneficiaries: Direct beneficiaries: 190 people -98 women and 92 men- and indirect beneficiaries: 684 people.

General objective: Contribute to strengthen the socioemotional capacities of Mayan children, adolescents and young people as a protective factor against school dropout. The monitoring and evaluation of the result will correspond to a result indicator: Percentage of children, adolescents and youth (NNAJ) who significantly improve their knowledge and socioemotional skills favorable to the prevention of school dropout.

SIGNING OF AGREEMENTS

On April 16, the signing of agreements took place between Amigos de San Cristobal, A.C. and each of the 10 organizations with which we are collaborating in 2024. They briefly presented their projects to the rest, and there was a question and answer session to discuss some technical and administrative issues regarding the execution of the funds and the presentation of reports. Thus, that day we were accompanied by representatives of: Hogar Comunitario Yach'il Antzetic, A.C., Tierra Roja Cuxtitali, Semillero 259, Promedios de Comunicación Comunitaria, A.C., Jovenarte (Jóvenes Articulando Territorios), A.C., Agua y Vida: Mujeres, Derechos y Ambiente, A.C., Formación y Capacitación, A.C. (FOCA), Centro de Formación Integral para Promotores Indígenas, A.C., Melel Xojobal A.C. and Ideas, Información y Diseños Educativos para Acciones Saludables, A.C. - Ch'ieltik.

IAF VISIT

In the first half of June we enjoyed a visit from Andrea Tapia of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF). She was able to see on the ground the work of some of the organizations and collectives, and the ñknñ,results of the technical trainings that took place in 2023. Hogar Comunitario Yach'il Antzetic, A.C., Sanando Heridas, A.C., Universidad Moxviquil, Semillero 259, TeKio tejedora de redes and Gimnasio Autónomo Popular "Barrio Bravo" were the organizations interviewed. Andrea also had the opportunity to speak with members of the giving circles about their experience and with members of the Amigos de San Cristóbal A.C. operational team.

COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY AND GIVING CIRCLES

TSELTAL COURSE WITH CAUSE

The Sejk'ubal Kuxlejal giving circle organized a Tseltal course with a cause and the proceeds from the cost of the workshop went to the projects we support.

COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY VIDEO

The Community Philanthropy area, in collaboration with the Communications area, produced a video with the objective of explaining the work that is carried out in Amigos de San Cristobal in relation to community philanthropy, which seeks to be a tool to create awareness and form agents of change that positively impact, through collective practices, the lives of children, women and families in Los Altos de Chiapas. Special thanks to Xun Sero, for the production and editing of the video, an excellent professional in audiovisual matters, and to all the people who participated, always with the best attitude. A nice team work in the making of this video. In these links you can see it in Spanish and also subtitled in English, Tsotsil and Tseltal.

Spanish: https://youtu.be/JtVZvXjo0U8

English: https://youtu.be/T1Y_xw4XPnA

Tsotsil: https://youtu.be/kl8GoPsxpTM

Tseltal: https://youtu.be/8nY34bRQQ3w

COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY WORKSHOP

On April 8, we participated, along with partner organizations and members of giving circles, in a workshop on community philanthropy. The session was facilitated by Dr. Sergio Cruz Hernández, a professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California in Ensenada, and collaborates with Fondo Acción Solidaria, A. C. (FASOL). The purpose of the workshop was the exchange of knowledge and experiences around philanthropic practices, mainly around the processes of recovery of memory in the communities, to recognize the contributions in time of women and men, to make visible the symbolic valuation of the territory; as well as to see the tangible and intangible resources contributed by all those involved in the project (not only the donors), based on the main findings obtained in the study "Mobilization of resources among grassroots groups in Mexico" (2021) and the results of the project "Strengthening community philanthropy in Mexico" (2023).

INTERACTIVE EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL

 In early June we launched our "Interactive Educational Material", a booklet translated into Tsotsil, Tseltal and English, which contains information and exercises for giving circles to reflect on community philanthropy issues in a fun and educational way. The printed version will also include two dynamics for board games, one of cards with questions about the environment and the other with questions about philanthropy. In our Linktree you can find the digital versions in PDF: https://linktr.ee/amigosdesc

 FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS

 SORIANA CUSTOMER CONTRIBUTION CAMPAIGN 2024

The campaign, in collaboration with Fundación Soriana, ran from March 1 to June 30, and was aimed at customers of the Soriana Híper San Cristóbal store, in which, at the checkout, they could donate cents (or 5 extra pesos) when paying for their purchases, and thus contribute to improving the living conditions of the people of Los Altos de Chiapas, through the development projects supported by Amigos de San Cristóbal this year.

On July 10, the closing of the 2024 Customer Contribution Campaign took place at Soriana Híper San Cristóbal, in collaboration with the Soriana Organization, where we had the opportunity to thank the store -specifically the cashiers, manager and cashier- with some gifts for their support and collaboration.

We also thanked the customers by sharing a cupcake for the donations they made at the cash register.  

Together we make a difference! 

COMUNALIA ANNUAL MEETING

A meeting in which our operational director, Corinne Pierre-Louis, participated as a member of the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Community Foundations of Mexico (Comunalia). The activity was held to share the scope of the work of this foundation of foundations. Thanks to the commitment and impulse of the community foundations associated to this network, spaces are being created so that the voices of the communities -from different parts of the country- can be heard and assume the leadership of their own development.

VISIT FROM INDIANA UNIVERSITY

In mid-May we received a visit from a group of students from Indiana University. The group was accompanied by Dr. Elisheva Cohen and Professor Victor Calderon Rojas. We had the opportunity to introduce them to the philanthropic work being carried out at Amigos de San Cristobal and the projects we support. The young people, most of whom are studying International Relations, learned about the current context of Chiapas and the work of civil associations. We also visited with them the Hogar Comunitario Yach' i l Antzetic, where their collaborators talked to them about the work they do with women.

IBERO-AMERICAN MEETING

On April 16, 17 and 18, the IBERO-AMERICAN ENCOUNTER OF CIVIL SOCIETY (Collaboration with Impact), organized by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy, CEMEFI, was held at the Universidad Centro in Mexico City. Our director attended the sessions of the different discussion tables. The main theme of the event was "The power of collaboration to achieve just social change" and the objective was: "To promote the building of bridges of co-responsibility to address interconnected regional problems that require coordinated”.

EQUITACH EVENT (THERAPEUTIC RIDING OF LOS ALTOS DE CHIAPAS)

Amigos participated as a volunteer in the technical support of this event which objective was promoting the riding among people with intellectual disabilities, as well as providing more and more opportunities for competition and meaningful experiences

Dear Friends,

We are delighted to be with you again and share the latest news about our work and behind-the-scenes of our Foundation.

Thank you very much for the support you have given us in the last three GlobalGiving campaigns. Your contributions will help us continue our work, accompanying and strengthening local organizations. Every day, we strive and work hard to continue to grow and increase the positive impact to be a fairer and more equitable community.

CLOSING OF CAMPAIGN IN COLLABORATION WITH HÍPER SORIANA

Last Friday, July 21st, the closing event of the Customer Contribution 2023 campaign was held at Soriana Híper SCLC. Full of joy and gratitude at the event, the symbolic check was presented for 26,738.53 pesos. The funds improved the quality of life of one hundred boys, girls, women, and families in The Highlands of Chiapas—the cashiers who raised the most received gifts as an incentive and gratitude for their campaign support.

CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN WITH GLOBALGIVING

Small acts of generosity make significant changes. For this reason, between September 18th and 22nd, the LittleByLittle online fundraising campaign was carried out, where GlobalGiving matched all donations under 50 dollars. This campaign was launched to continue making the work of Amigos de San Cristóbal possible, which has always been dedicated to transforming minds, strengthening the community, and making it fairer and more equitable. The final collection was 818 dollars.

BREAKFAST OF WOMEN IN SOLIDARITY

At the end of September, we had the pleasure of having breakfast at the Hotel Villas Casa Morada with a group of twenty women from San Cristóbal, who were very participative, supportive, and eager to get involved in the work for their community. We introduced them to the creation of Amigos de San Cristobal through the testimonies given by representatives of Hogar Comunitario Yach'il Antzetic, A.C., Tierra Roja Cuxtitali, Gimnasio Autónomo Popular "Barrio Bravo" and UNECODES, A.C., organizations with which we collaborate. All of them were grateful and excited after listening to the experiences.

COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY AND GIVING CIRCLES

Ceramics workshop with a cause

Pilar Martín Palomo, on July 22nd, was kind enough to donate her talent as a ceramics teacher in a very nice event that took place thanks to the organization and the excellent work of the people who are part of the giving circle La Semilla. Twenty-seven people came to the call. The event was a great success, and they left very happy with their pots finished and ready to put in the oven. A lot of hidden talent and participants of all ages; a morning in which they had time for everything: learning, having fun, relaxing while molding, sharing laughs, meeting people of all ages, and, in addition, contributing to a cause. The truth is that they created beautiful pieces. The proceeds were $6,752 pesos, which will go directly to the fund to finance the development projects we support yearly.

Introductory course of tseltal with cause

From August 15th to 18th, the Sejk'ubal-Kuxlejal giving circle organized an introductory tseltal course with a cause to do a second part. It was attended by six people and consisted of four modules and a discussion that served to learn more about the doubts and needs of the students. We had facilitators from Oxchuc, Tenejapa, Cancuc, and Teopisca. This event also responds to the intention of Amigos de San Cristóbal to contribute to the dissemination of mother tongues.

Salsa class with a cause

On August 25th, a salsa class with a cause was organized by the giving circle La Semilla at Latino's Club. Thirty-three people participated, who came together to have fun and contribute to the cause. With the help of salsa teacher Tony Luna, who kindly donated to the class, everyone learned new dance steps. Thanks to the sponsors (Madonna Mía Pizzeria, Thermomix, Salsa & Blues/La Parrilla, and Latino's Club) for making this fundraising effort possible.

Health workshop for members of giving circles

As part of the internal strengthening of the giving circles, on September 9th, a health workshop was held to analyze and contextualize the health situation in The Highlands of Chiapas.

Lottery with a cause

Last September 21st, our Lottery with a Cause event was organized by the giving circle La Semilla. A supportive and fun evening, hosted by María Elena Oseguera and with several sponsors, who were in charge of awarding the prizes to the winners (Latino's Club, Cabañas del Grupo La Labor, Optica Visión 360, Super Cava, Cacao Nativa, Quinto Sol Joyería, Restaurant Taniperla, Te Quiero Verde, El Horno Mágico/Panadería Francesa, and Thermomix).

PARTICIPATION IN FASOL (FONDO DE ACCIÓN SOLIDARIA, A.C.) WORKSHOP

On July 27th and 28th, the workshop "Building a New Narrative on Community Philanthropy," facilitated by FASOL, was held in Oaxaca. Our Community Philanthropy coordinator, Verónica, Vicky, from UNECODES, and Korina, from the Gimnasio Autónomo Popular (GAP), were present and were able to deepen their knowledge on topics such as recognition of assets and resources that we all contribute to the projects, diversity of types of resources, proposals for the construction of a new concept and narrative of community philanthropy, as well as the discovery of strategies for a more horizontal relationship in the cooperation between communities and funders.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTHENING NEW COORDINATOR IN THE AREA OF PROJECTS AND STRENGTHENING

We welcome Patricia López, who will replace Martha Yuritzia Galera in Projects and Strengthening. She has experience working in civil society organizations and community development projects from a rights and gender perspective.

Thanks to Martha for her valuable work accompanying collectives and organizations in Strengthening the Active Communities Program. Much success in this new stage.

ANNUAL CALL FOR PROJECT FUNDING 2024

On July 27th, 2024, the call for projects to be executed in the coming year was launched. Organizations had until August 11th to submit the essential documentation and until September 5th to present, in a second phase, the detailed proposal of their project. Twenty-two applications are under review, and priority will be given to those working in The Highlands of Chiapas and around our three strategic lines of priority advocacy: education, health, and environment.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION ENCOUNTER

On Thursday, August 24th, we held a community participation encounter, a get-together for civil society organizations, collectives, members of the operational team, the board of directors, and the giving circles; forty-three people, including adults and children, which took place in the Kassil Vochonil Garden, one of the collectives with which we collaborate. It was a nice moment of fellowship and work in common, as everyone was able to participate by cleaning the green areas of garbage, extracting soil, and then bagging it with seeds. It was a productive, fun, and collaborative day.

Thank you very much for reading us and continuing to support us. We send you a big hug and will soon give you more news from Amigos.