Overarching Goal and Objectives:

Goal:

to build leadership and life skills of youth in the Americas through exchange, civic engagement, and collaborative community development

Objectives:

1. Increase active youth involvement in communities
2. Increase knowledge and awareness of cultural, environmental, and health issues
3. Collaborate with community members on Community-Based Initiative (CBI) process

Project Specific Activities:

Volunteers will work with local youth on the promotion and preservation of local culture through the use of digital technology.  They will train community members, especially youth, in the use of digital technology and media equipment and explore its application in documenting oral histories, local culture, and gastronomy.  In their classes, Volunteers will teach basic computing, how to navigate the internet, digital photography, and digital video.  Examples of projects Volunteers carried out in 2006 include working with community members on documentaries and photography projects, helping to develop a book of local recipes, and exploring town histories.

Furthermore, Volunteers will be collaborating with community members on the planning and implementation of a Community-Based Initiative (CBI).  Some of the CBI projects from 2006 include building computer centers, improving community centers, and establishing parks. 

Project Area:

Established in the late fifteenth century as an Aztec stronghold and occupied by Spanish conquistadors in 1521, Oaxaca today is a colorful, modern city of a half-million inhabitants, the capital of the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, and a cultural center of extraordinary ethnic diversity. Volunteers will stay in partnerships of two or three in rural communities 30 minutes to three hours from Oaxaca City, where they will have a unique chance to explore the fascinating and complex realities of Mexican culture, politics and economy while living with a local host family.

In spite of its cultural wealth, Oaxaca remains the second poorest state in Mexico, with malnutrition, illiteracy, and inadequate medical care affecting large segments of the population.  Many community-members, particularly men and young people, have emigrated to Northern Mexico or the US in search of alternative means of survival.  This exodus can place further strain on those left behind, commonly women and children. 

Project History:

For 28 years, AMIGOS has been building strong ties with communities and public service organizations in the state of Oaxaca, México.  From 1979 until 2002, there was a strong collaboration with the Oaxacan State Health Services to build latrines and fuel-efficient stoves.  In 2003 the projects began to evolve into Youth-to-Youth Community Development programs, and partnerships were forged with two nutrition-focused non-governmental organizations (NGOs): Un Kilo de Ayuda and Puente a la Salud Comunitaria.  Additionally, in 2003 a culture-focused program was piloted, which came to include a technology component in 2005.  In 2008, AMIGOS plans to continue building upon and strengthen the community nutrition program with Puente and Kilo. In 2008, AMIGOS plans to continue building upon and strengthen the digital culture program with IEEPO. 

Partner Agencies:

Instituto Estatal de Educación Publica de Oaxaca (IEEPO)

Further Actions:

• Apply to Volunteer
• Apply to Serve on Project Staff