While in Santiago Suchilquitongo we were able to get to know the Xuchil Team through casual hangouts and conversations! From makeshift basketball to conversations over dinner, the five of us were able to develop meaningful friendships with each of them. The more we learned about them, the more we realized how intriguing their backgrounds were and how little we knew about them. So, we decided to conduct interviews with each of the Xuchil members in order to continue to get to know them more! The questions and responses were conducted in Spanish, and with the help of Gaby and Hannah M., we were able to translate everything into English to share with you all (with the Xuchil members’ permission of course)! Hope you all learn a little bit about why we find our new friends in Oaxaca to be so inspiring!
Minerva
1. How did you get involved in this project and what is your role?
- Como se entre en parte del proyecto mesquite y cual es su implicacion?
I got invited to participate in some workshops, I don’t remember the names, but from there four groups were developed and I joined the mesquite team.
2. What is the importance of agriculture within the community of Suchilquitongo?
- Que es la importancia de la agricultura en la comunidad Suchil?
Roughly 70% of the population works in agriculture and the basic grains they produce are what feeds us.
3. What is something you wish more people knew about you?
- Que es una cosa que deseas que mas gente supiera de ti?
I really enjoy doing social work aside from the work I am currently doing with TA. I like being involved in activities for the common good. (what a queen!)
4. What do you like to do for fun?
- Que te gusta hacer para divertirte?
I like to ride my bike and listen to music. I listen to salsa and ballads in english. I prefer biking on flat terrain and just started getting back into it.
Petry
1. How did you get involved in the mesquite project and what is your role?
- Como se entre en parte del proyecto mesquite y cual es su implicacion?
Hello My name is Petronila Hernandez Hernandez and I am a part of the mesquite project. When I was at the university, we received these workshops by Richard and Sarahi who did talks on technology and I was interested and then I began doing the workshop with them. At first it was a business plan and we looked at various projects, one of them was related to mesquite. Fortunately, I was picked up by a team to work on the mesquite project. I never thought that I would be an innovator and a part of a big project. For now, I work on the prime material (flour) and not only that but also in the sales department, the store, the entire process. I am proud to be part of this project which allows to me socialize with various people as I come from a community that’s far away but I love it. I didn’t encounter any obstacles coming here or when I started working here. I get emotional when there are people who are interested in our project and help us with it. Thank you all for being here with this project. It is a great help and I believe that there is a great value that you give to us as it increases our motivation to continue with this project. “Thank you very much for working with us” – Petry communicating to us in English!
- What did you study in university?
I studied Industrial Engineering
2. What is your biggest dream in life?
- Cual es tu sueno mas grande en la vida?
Wow… I never stop dreaming. One, is to have this project in mesquite. The other, is have the project my family and I are working on at my house. In my family project, the entire family is involved including myself, brothers and parents. My parents have confidence in us that we will be somebody someday.
3. What is one thing you would say to your younger self?
- Que es un consejo que te darias a ti misma en tu version mas joven?
Wow…. That is a very interesting question. What advice do I give to myself? Apply what I know. If I saw this project as short term it could change my life. When we are young, not everyone is as fortunate to have such a project, such as their own company, have their own work and have work towards other people. Therefore, I want to apply myself more, compromise myself more, and work more on this project.
4. What is one thing you wish more people knew about you?
- Que es una cosa que deseas que mas gente supiera de ti?
I don’t know how to answer it hahaha. I am chill person. I think you already know that. I am a person who likes to work. I don’t really like to do things out of my comfort zone because I feel insecure. But in the case of work and ideas that’s where I step out and apply myself.
Antonio
1. How did you get involved in the mesquite project and what is your role?
- Como se entre en parte del proyecto mesquite y cual es su implicacion?
Through many courses we got around 40 people and over time people left until there were two teams. One team devised the mesquite flour prototype and another was a flower (florerias was what he said?) team. At one point, the floreria team was going further than us, but then they saw that it was not so viable and they left, whereas the mesquite team continued to work. I mostly work the mill but at the same time I’m working wherever I can help the rest of the group. But I feel like they are the ones who help me the most haha.
2. If you could eat with anyone dead or alive who would it be?
Si pudieras comer con alguien, vivo o muerto, quien seria y porque?
With my grandfather. He passed away 18 years ago and he was a very wise person. He knew lots of things and always gave great advice.
3. What is something you wish more people knew about you?
- Que es una cosa que deseas que mas gente supiera de ti?
I like to work when people are also working with me. I don’t like it when people are watching and just observe what you are doing. I like working with people who are motivated and want to give 100%.
4. What’s your favorite song?
- Cual es tu cancion favorita para escuchar?
Bohemian rhapsody, some favorite artists include simple plan, good charlotte, blink 182 to name a few.
Zoraida
1. Where were you born and what is your favorite childhood memory?
- Donde creciste y cual es uno de tus recuerdos favoritos de tu ninez?
I was born in a Pueblo called Teococuilco de Marcos Pérez, it’s in a part of Ixtlán de Juárez. My favorite memory is going to the countryside we had a ranch and I enjoyed going with my parents to cultivate and do a variety of things there.
2. How did you get involved in the mesquite project?
- Como se entre en parte del proyecto mesquite?
When I was in school in *University of Technology* Richard and Sarahi came and invited us to a workshop that they were having in Suchil. From there, we were formed into a team to decide the project that we would be working on and 100% of all team members decided to work with the mesquite project. I have been working on this project for three years.
3. What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
- Que te ves haciendo en 10 anos?
Oh my…hahaha..With this project I hope that it has grown big to increase employment within the community. I hope to have a family by then… who knows hahaha…and to be working – working a lot in my profession in association with this project.
4. What is one thing you wish more people knew about you?
- Que es una cosa que deseas que mas gente supiera de ti?
Ummm, I like to go to calm and chill places and I love tranquility and peace.
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Sarahi
Sarahi is actually one of the co-leaders of Tejiendo Alianzas which is run by her and her husband, Richard (we interviewed him earlier in the year… but y’all already knew that)! Since she mainly speaks Spanish, communication with her via email wasn’t as consistent as it was with Richard during the year, so we weren’t able to conduct an interview with her before we went to Oaxaca. However, because TA works with the Xuchil group on the Mesquite Project, we thought we could include her in this post!
1. Where were you born and what is one of your favorite childhood memories?
- Donde creciste y cual es uno de tus recuerdos favoritos de tu ninez?
Orale…hmmm… this is difficult… that’s a really good question… I am from a community called San Dionisio Ocotepec. I am an indigenous woman haha. Perhaps one of my favorite memories is when we were on the streets near my house, we played a lot with neighborhood kids and played something called “Bodis”. That’s what is called in Zapoteco. I am not sure what it is called in Spanish (or English). The literal meaning is that it is a hole in the ground because it is the ground of the streets (ruts). So you have a hole in the ground in front of each kid standing in a circle and one of the kids throws the ball and if it lands in your hole, you grab it and start chasing the other kids to tag them and get them out.
Another thing, in the community we did not have a lot of resources, I made a doll out of the cobs of corn and one day I went near a water tank and it fell into the water tank and I grabbed it out and yelled “noooooo!!! wahhhhh!!!” haha. It’s funny because it’s only a cob of corn hahaha but I was like “noooo!! It fell in!!” ya si.
2. How did you get involved in the mesquite project and what is your role?
- Como se entre en parte del proyecto mesquite y cual es su implicacion?
My parents are artisans and we would go to fairs and expositions to sell (shoes) and sometimes we did well, sometimes not. We would to places outside of our state and sometimes you sell, sometimes you don’t, even sometimes the places you are going to be to sell results in being a bad space. Sometimes they trick you, sometimes you break even. I lived like that and my parents lived like that. It was the aspiration to try and not fall into these things anymore. All of these bad instances made us want to change what we were doing with various artisans, producers, having risks. We wanted to change how we were handling things.
So all of this is part of what brought me to Tejiando Alianzas. I believe in humanitarian development. I am an indigenous woman who sees a lot of potential in indigenous communities with lots to do. It’s like a precious gem that has to be cleaned and by itself it will shine. All of the communities have that and can rise upward. Some communities live with less than a dollar a day. We are continuing to exist and live and I believe that we can do more. I believe that every artisan, every producer, every person who believes in products can move forward. It’s what I think and believe will work. I bet on everything and even put my hands in the fire and said yes, it’s possible. It’s difficult, it’s complicated but the point at where we are now, it took my parents 10 years to get to here in Suchil. Now, TA has been here for 3-4 years. There is a big difference and I think it’s the heart that is put in to all these projects.
3. What is your biggest dream in life?
- Cual es tu sueno mas grande en la vida?
Wow, these questions are complicated… jajaja… My biggest dream, I haven’t even thought it about it to tell you the truth. I believe it’s this: That me as an indigenous woman I am one of the few that have been able to leave the pueblo and go to university and I have been able to work with the people. I only want the girls of my pueblo to see that if I can do it, they can do it to. And I don’t necessarily want to be an inspiration but as an example. That this person can do it, so I can also do it; I can also leave the pueblo, I have the capacity to do so. Ultimately, I want to be an example for the girls of my pueblo and my biggest dream is that a girl of my community becomes president of the municipal community; see a woman in a presidential seat. Then I can die the next day when I see that. Ya hahaha.
4. What do you like to do for fun?
- Que te gusta hacer para divertirte?
Did you that I don’t have hobbies? My parents always worked and on the weekends we would go the market and sell our shoes at Tlacolula. The truth of the truth is, I never had hobbies. One day Richard asked me what my hobbies were and I said I don’t know. Then I started freaking out because I don’t have hobbies, I don’t do anything for fun, I need to find something to do! He was like okay, breathe, and calm down, what do you like to do? Still don’t know. So we started to run, but I found out, I don’t like to run. Swim, yes, more or less I like it. And the truth I found is that I like three things: Swim, watch Netflix, and drinkkkk jajaja! Okay fine, the fourth is I like to listen to the news every morning. Its crazy. For Richard it’s a lot but for me I need to know what’s happening in the world… I need to know! Mostly national news (Mexico) and local news.
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Thank you Sarahi and Richard and Tejiando Alianzas for hosting and collaborating with PUC Team Mexico 2019! Also many thanks to the Xuchil team for their hardwork during the construction of the PSD along with taking the time to do these interviews. Team Mexico loves y'all!
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