Higher education for indigenous students in Mexico

One of the most precious assets that we have at Centro de Compartimiento is trust. It is a tremendous responsibility taking on the care and superision of young women and trust is a very important element of the process.  This is a process that takes time and with our student we have plenty of time to build trust and work on our relationships.  But our work does not only impact the young women but their families as well and it our culture it is not easy for families to let their young women leave home and live with complete strangers.  For this reason it is very important for us  to get to know the families of our students.  

Most of the time we take to the road ourselves and travel to their communities to meet thier families.  Usually our students live about 1.5 to 3 hours from our program center.  Close enough to go and return in one day.  Our goal is to spend time with the families and listen to them. It is important for us to hear about their efforts to support their daughter's education, especially in these difficult economic times.

None of the parents have a secure salary, They all depend on the land and sea: agriculture, animal husbandry or fishing. The women are mostly housewives who supliment their income through small project such as making tortillas. It is difficult for them to spend the funds needed to travel and visit our program center. 

Jeny is one of our scholarship recipients, she is from the community of Santa Catarina Yetzelalag, located in the Sierra Juárez of Oaxaca, nine hours away from Juchitán. A distance that made it diffucult for us to make a home visit.  Jeny's  parents wanted to know more about us and understand why we support young people.  To them it was unbelievable that there was a place like the CDC, where young people could live and receive all the necessary support while studying. They did not trust that their daughtes needs were fully subsidized by donations.  They worried that there was something hidden behind the support. Moved by this curiosity and concern, Antonio, her father made the long trip to visit with us. 

Our meeting in the living room of the house was amazing, he told us that he found the place, the support, the people, the environment, the house and the whole project incredible. He was surprised at our openess to let him ask us very direct questions about his doubts and concerns. This opening allowed us to enter into a deep and interesting conversation about our mission and why we believe women deserve opportunities. 

One of his major concerns was that the family would have financial debts with the CDC once their daughters finished their studies.  He was forthright telling us he could not pay and did not want any surpises. We assured him that he would owe us nothing.  The families pay for the school costs and transportation and that we ask no payment for our own services. We talked about our our  goals and vision; to awaken young people to their own mission, seek well-being, and common good, the desire to serve, heal, the dream that they finish university and be a blessing to humanity. That is our payment. 

In Antonio we met a father who believes in and encourages his daughters, the opportunity to share with him was wonderful. 

Jeny is a semester away from graduation. In June she will complete here degree in Architecture at the Instituto Tecnológico del Istmo and her achievemts fill us with pride and emotion.  Thanks to you and your support for our programs she will leave to start her proffesional career with no financial debt for her self or family.  We thank you for your onging support for Jeny and her family.  Helping parents like Antonio see his daughter fufilling her dreams.