Stranger in Oaxaca
The start of my adventure began this past November when I received my acceptance letter into the ProWorld Service Corps program. I will spend two months assisting members of the community in an Anthropology related project, most likely affiliated with the Union de Museos Comunitarios. Follow me through the entire ProWorld experience as I make my way from all of the preparations and finally embark on my journey to Oaxaca, Mexico!
My Project~
Today I received additional information about some of the volunteer opportunities I will have while I am in Oaxaca. Two specific projects I will most likely be a part of are working in the Mixteca in the town of Santa Magdalena Jaltepec and helping them as they work on expanding their small community museum. This will involve setting up a large artisan exhibition from the 17 villages that will be on display in the Centro Cultural Santo Domingo in December. I may also have a chance to help work on writing the grant proposal for the town of Santa Maria Cuquila to build tourist cabins in their community. Both of these activities are a part of a larger community organization called the Union de Museos Comunitarios (Union of Community Museums).
My Homestay ~
Here is the summary I received from ProMexico:
"The Revilla Pulido family has been hosting international students for several years and enjoys meeting people with different backgrounds and the intercultural exchanges that result. Mireya, the mother, is a widow who works from home (she is an accountant). She lives with her mother (abuelita Semiramis) in a nice home 20 minutes walking from the city center. Her son, Marco Antonio, studies in Mexico City but occasionally visits. This is a lively household with Mireya's work staff, miscellaneous family members and even a cat and parakeet all coming in and out."
