First weeks

In these past weeks, the world has become smaller multiple times. First, it turns out that Dr. Ysunza, with whom I was in touch for a possible internship since he works in Oaxaca in nutrition issues, is a mutual friend of the artist Juan Alcazar.  In the U.S., it took many phone calls and emails to get in touch with Alberto Ysunza but after a few days in Mexico, I met him unexpectedly at my friends’ art studio. He invited me to one of his workshops on community gardens in the coast of Oaxaca later this week. 

Then, when I was working on some documents at the local library, I saw Perla Jimenez Santos a family friend who turns out to also be friends with Richard Mines, a researcher I have been in touch with through my work at HIA (Health Initiative of the Americas).

These past two weeks, in addition to finishing the drafts, translating, and piloting of the interview forms I also arranged meetings with the following organizations:

Centeotl.  This will be one of the main contacts with the community of Zimatlan and neighboring towns.  Centeotl is a community development organization that supports amaranth production and projects by women groups called Colmenas through a micro loans system.  After meeting with Nicandro and Angel from Centeotl, I was able to use their library space to work and arranged a visit to a nearby community next week.

http://centeotl.alianzasinergia.org/

CIDIR (Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigacion para el Desarrollo Integral Regional), an organization that is part of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN).  This is a graduate school and a research center that focuses on themes such as sustainable agriculture.  Dr. Rafael Perez Pacheco from CIDIR has helped me adapt research forms and has put me in contact with community members since his work focuses on the communities of Zimatlan and Zaachila.

http://www.cidiroax.ipn.mx/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=152

Dr. Perez is the thesis director of Ninfa Ruiz Santiago, a friend I went to school with 16 years ago. These are some pictures of CIDIR.

Puente.  This is an organization that focuses on promoting amaranth production and consumption to reduce malnutrition in underserved communities.  I have been in touch with Puente by email and hope to meet with them next week.

http://puentemexico.org/main/us/why-oaxaca?/