I came to Puebla to volunteer with a non-profit organization, Yo’on Ixim, because I’d like to work to advance the rights of girls and women worldwide, and I wanted to learn first-hand what that could look like. I am passionate about education, and I strongly believe that providing girls and women with tools and resources to learn is critical to fighting for social justice.
A while back, a good friend connected me with Sam, the founder and director of Yo’on Ixim, and Sam shared more about her work on a Skype call. I became intrigued by the organization’s mission, and I promised I would volunteer with her as soon as I could. When Kreg and I decided to take time off from work, I knew I would to come to Puebla and fulfill that promise.
Now that I’m here, I’m learning so much about what it means to do this work from the ground up and what it takes to create radical change. I’m immensely grateful to Sam and everyone who’s welcomed me into the organization for this incredible opportunity to learn and be of service.
Now, a little about the Yo’on Ixim (translated from Spanish):
The mission of Yo’on Ixim is to generate, with basic education and entrepreneurship, a radical change of life in Tzotzil children, women and men who migrated from Mitontic, Chiapas to the city of Puebla due to extreme poverty, so that they can take advantage of their ancestral knowledge and, at the same time, integrate themselves into economic development in conditions of decent work and sustainable productive cooperatives.
Timeline:
The organization began informally in August 2013 when Sam Greiff began working with Tzotzil migrants in the streets of Puebla.
A year later, in September 2014, four Tzotzil families began attending workshops on Sundays in one of the family’s homes.
In June 2015, Yo’om Ixim began renting a small room in the neighborhood of La Loma and six families began studying on Sundays and Wednesdays.
The textile cooperative of Yo’on Ixim officially formed in September 2015 in Zinacantán, Chiapas with 13 female artisans.
In November 2015, Yo’on Ixim became a non-profit organization in Mexico.
In January 2016, a family generously donated the necessary funds to move Yo’on Ixim from the small room to a bigger space. At the same time, Yo’on Ixim began educating 10 families.
In March 2016, the textile cooperative of Yo’on Ixim wins funds and begins a one-year business incubation program at the Institute of Design and Technological Innovation (IDIT) Ibero-Puebla (Instituto de Diseño e Innovación Tecnológica (IDIT) Ibero-Puebla).
In January 2017, Yo’on Ixim began working with the National Institute for the Education of Adults (Instituto Nacional para la Educación de los Adultos (INEA)) with the goal of certifying its students, both children and adults.
That same month, the artisan cooperative of Yo’on Ixim expanded to include beauty and food products, and the cooperative became the main source of income for 26 women.
In June 2017, all of Yo’on Ixim’s students older than 10 years old passed their primary school exams with As.
Today, I get to see students and adults learning in a safe and loving environment. I get to see women earn a living by selling their products at a fair price. I get to see the people of Puebla mobilize in support of marginalized communities. And I get to see change happening right before my eyes.
Trails And Travels 