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Wider
Circle El Vigía Project Goals
The computer
room and library project is a partnership between Wider Circle and the Emiliano
Zapata Bilingual Elementary School. Together we are working to establish a
community lending library, computer lab, and internet access to the residents
of El Vigía,
Oaxaca, Mexico.
1.transport eight remaining (10 total) computer workstations.
2.obtain additional Spanish/Zapotec language books.
3.assist
residents and school community with infrastructure improvements:
—Gutters and rainwater containment.
—Erosion control - landscaping
and retaining walls.
—Bathroom facilities to support
the elementary school, using sustainable methods to construct composting toilets
and handwashing stations.
—Recess break area to
serve and eat lunch, with access to shade, floor, and handwashing.
Escuela Primaria Federal Bilingüe Emiliano Zapata Clave 20DPB0521R
Bilingual (Zapotec
– Spanish) primary school in El Vigía, Oaxaca
serving the Indigenous
communities of southern, coastal Oaxaca.
In June 2006, Agnes Berenyi, one of the founding partners of Wider Circle, traveled
to southern Oaxaca and meeting and befriending Maestra Vicki, an elementary
school teacher. Data specific to Vigía are unavailable, however school
officials estimate the population at near 700. The primary school serves approximately
200 students with a 2-year kindergarten and grades 1-6. Fifty children ages
5-12 reside in the dormitory during the school week.
Oaxaca is
the second poorest state in Mexico, with a Human Development Index ranking of
0.71 (United Nations, 2004) on par with the country of Indonesia. Oaxaca is
also home to the greatest diversity of Indigenous people in the country. The
Zapotec people are the largest Indigenous group in the state and have a rich
history dating back at least 2500 years.
El Vigía
is located in the municipality of San Pedro Pochutla. Connected to a paved highway
by 3km of a rutted dirt road, El Vigía faces considerable challenges
accessing or instituting services for potable water, sanitation, health care,
and education.
In June 2006 Berenyi met with elected parent representatives and school officials
to offer her carpentry skills. Even in the context of the overall community
needs, improvements for the primary school were prioritized. Berenyi used personal
funds to begin infrastructure improvements to house a library and computer lab
for the primary school.
Over a period of four weeks, the land was cleared and prepared for building,
construction materials obtained, and laborers were able to construct a cement
structure that will house the future library and computer room. Personal funds
and volunteer labor were used to level the dirt floor, pour concrete and tile
the floor, construct windows, lay framework for electrical wiring of light fixtures,
ventilation, and outlets, and finish walls with stucco.
In December 2007, Berenyi, Llanas, and Young returned to El Vigía
to install light fixtures, fans, and electrical outlets, construct bookshelves,
install a lockable door and security bars for the windows, and paint the interior
of the facility.
As the electrical work proceeded, it became clear that the school’s 30
ampere electrical service could not adequately supply power for computers and
the fans needed to keep them cool. We learned that the original electrical service
was installed thirty years prior when the school consisted of only one classroom.
In the years since, as the school has grown, additional circuits were added
to this system, resulting in inconsistent electrical service and frequent shorts,
leaving charred and poorly insulated wiring within the reach of children and
unsuspecting adults.
Wider Circle began formal fundraising efforts in 2008 as a new tax-exempt charitible
organization, and has supported the school community in the following accomplishments:
— school-wide electrical upgrade
— transporting and installing two computer workstations
— furnishing center with Spanish language books, art supplies, and
furniture
— training volunteer staff with National Service youth
— community celebrations
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