Arts & crafts for migrant and indigenous children

Oaxaca is a place of rhythms, songs, and textures. Belonging to this territory is a daily reminder for children of how zapotec culture is a way of living and a reason for preserving our traditional arts, and knowledge. 

Before sharing with you the last news I want to make a flashback, and tell you that since the beginning of UMPO existence, children have been one of our greatest motivations for initiating the Community center of traditional trades and health. A good friend of ours, who was a local talented musician, started the first group of guitar and zapoteco singing. Today some of this first generation continue practicing to play guitar. Many things have changed, many kids have been part of this dream and we are very proud to be able of being witnesses of how childhood can transform society.  

Last month, the traditional guitar group was invited to the graduation ceremony of a 2016-2022 primary school in our community. This was such an important happening for us because we realized that this year the guitar group will have its 5-year anniversary, since the earthquake in 2017 when the workshop started for the first time.   

Maybe this event might not be so important, but we want to remember to you that this program wants children to don't migrate to other cities, and invite them to look inside their communities, and find opportunities in life or ways of personal growth. And also, to have memories of why they want to stay in their territory, and motives to return to their homes if they leave someday. 

Once, someone asked Zahir, one of the kids,  what is UMPO for him and he answered “UMPO is culture, our culture” and we cried silently :`) 

Thank you for believing that working with childhood changes the world, if we love our territory we will stay in it and we will take care of it.

Links:

• Concert at primary school Margarita Maza

Hi there! Today I want to share with you amazing learnings of the mountain. Last week our partner Perseida visited the community of San Pedro Jilotepec, in the Sierra chontal. We started working there because of our food sovereignty program, in which women of the community are learning how to reduce fruit waste. During our visits, we noticed that the children of the community were very isolated, they haven’t had teachers or regular school since 2020 because of the pandemic. Families decided that if children don’t have new teachers by next month they will migrate to another place. Perseida said “How can we dream about living in our own community if we don’t have access to basic rights? the fact of living in the mountains has been romanticized, many of these children are malnourished, but they still love their territory.” 

We were very fortunate that the mural artist Jademidori, guided San Pedro’s to identify what they appreciate the most from their territory. The group participated in a reading workshop, in listening circles, and finally, they made a community mural in which they expressed what they love about the mountain and nature. “I shared myself through art, during this experience I learned a lot from children and from the wisdom of their lineage as indigenous people. Few times in life we can be touched by the magic of the mountains. I want them [the children] to be the guardians of everything that lives in their territory without damaging it, I want that everybody could witness the power of the indigenous communities and respect their traditions and languages. We created a community mural in which children expressed the beauty of their hearts.” said Jademidori. 

We considered this experience as an extension of our Art and heritage program for children because it was our way to take into account the needs of childhood and the importance of looking after their well-being. What is the point of giving productive solutions to adults if we do not look at the whole picture? Daysi, 9 years old girl told us “Is the first time that we received a workshop for us [children], people come here to share things with adults but we had not been heard before, is the first time we can share our voice”

In the context of the children’s day, we really appreciated all your support to make these activities possible.

Now more than ever,  we are sure that study rooms in our towns must be outside, surrounded by nature and the mountains, because only if children appreciate the greatness of their territory they will stay in it.

Thank you all!