Okuhlangenwe nakho kwakamuva, umsebenzi kanye nokuqala kwephrojekthi yethu esikoleni

Another month has passed since my last entry, and, as you might have guessed, a lot has happened. For the past three weeks, we have had the support of 20 energetic students at Casita de Barro. Last week, I attended an event organized by the Mexican Red Cross to select volunteers for the South-North exchange program. We have also started the first two hours of my own environmental education project with the 4th-grade students at Tecuanipan Elementary School. Additionally, we have begun construction on the biological pest control lab at Casita. In the following paragraphs, I will provide a more detailed account of the events of the past few weeks.

First, let's talk about last weekend: I went camping and hiking on the mountain called 'La Malinche' with Carmen, Fer (a friend of Carmen's), and Poncho (a friend of mine). It was a beautiful trip, but also very cold at night. We woke up to frost on the tent and warmed ourselves around a small fire. The hike up the mountain took about three and a half hours and required a certain level of fitness. Although we didn't reach the summit, we still enjoyed a stunning view.

On February 1st, we had our first session of the environmental education project that I am working on with three students who are doing their social service at Casita this semester. In total, we will have 10 sessions with the children. Last week, the children brought objects, plants, fruits, or grains from their hometowns, as we asked them to, in order to explore the resources available in Tecuanipan. Unfortunately, living in rural areas and working as farmers is still seen as poverty, despite the abundance of nature and the variety of food that can be cultivated. One of the goals of the project is to raise awareness among the children that having so much nature around them and the ability to cultivate different types of food is a form of wealth, not poverty. We also want to explore their roots with them and reconnect them with their land and heritage.

In our second session with the children this Wednesday, we went on a day trip to a nearby hill. We invited the parents to join us, and I was delighted that nine mothers and one father, Gustavo, came along. The hill we visited is the site of an afforestation project called 'Sembrando Esperanza' (Planting Hope), initiated by the villagers two years ago. Gustavo was one of the founders of the group, so it was particularly valuable to have him with us, sharing information about the project with the children and mothers at the top of the hill. Along the way to the hill, we made various stops where Susy, my former colleague, discussed current environmental issues, the importance of trees, ecosystems, and biodiversity with the children. On the hill, the children also had the opportunity to plant some agave plants. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and successful trip, and the children and teachers loved it. I am excited to see how the next sessions with the children will go and will keep you updated.

Aside from planning and implementing the environmental education project, our main tasks at Casita are digging and preparing holes for planting trees for the 'bosque comestible' (edible forest, as there is no exact German translation for this term) and constructing the walls of the lab using clay, water, and straw. Additionally, now that Susy has left (she completed her one-year internship in January), I am responsible, together with Ina, for planning and coordinating the activities of the students who come to help us. They are all very kind, and even when I can't find the right words in Spanish, they are patient with me. It feels like everything I do here at work is 'learning by doing,' including leading and coordinating groups in a foreign language.

In my free time this month, I have enrolled in two different dance classes: one with my host brother, Fer, and the other with my host mother, Carmen. So now I can dance four times a week and learn salsa, bachata, cumbia, and I have also tried kizomba. It's definitely a lot of fun.

In the next entry, I will share more about my daily life and work (if I find the time^^).

This entry may be a bit scattered, but I just wanted to check in with you all.

Greetings from Mexico,

Sandy