Tacuapan, Mexico
Tacuapan is a small Nahua village nestled in the lush mountain region of the Sierra Norte in Central Mexico. It is a community firmly grounded in its indigenous roots and struggling to navigate the adversity of our modern times. Hard working, the Nahua rely on their coffee to make a living but they have suffered because of their dependence on the price fluctuations of the international coffee market. We pay $5 for a Starbucks coffee and a day of strenuous labor in the fields will barely earn them that much. This kind of perspective changing experience was one of the most important elements of the Make A Difference trip to Tacuapan in August 2003. When reflecting on her time in Tacuapan, one trip participant wrote: “Perspective. It all comes down to that word. They put my life in perspective. I often complain about my job, but I make more at my job in an hour than they make in a day. Living and working with them makes me look at my life so differently and it makes me want to share what I have with others.” That is just what the 16 volunteers who went to Tacuapan did for two weeks this past summer. They shared their time and talents to build the walls of a house for a family that was living in a wooden hut. Volunteers also built a community center that will be used for health workshops, community progress meetings and adult education classes. It will be a gathering space and a place for the growth of ideas on how to continue to make positive changes in their community.