My internet has been mostly down for 8 days, which saved my readers from a blow-by-blow description of what's been going on! I might think in terms of weekly, rather than daily updates.
Fran has moved in with me. She is sleeping on the couch and has been spending her days studying for the upcoming entrance examinations, enrolling and starting classes at the Oaxaca Learning Center, and visiting schools to obtain information. We have started daily English classes.
She has a class in math, starting with algebra and proceeding through physics and calculus, three evenings per week. On Saturdays she has a 4-hour English class which is 80% English and 20% Spanish. Her skills in math and English have been assessed by the school.
In addition, a friend has volunteered her Oaxacan husband, an engineer, to spend 3 hours with Fran assessing her skills in math. So she will be very well informed about what she needs to improve and learn!
When she is not in formal classes she is often sitting at a table in my living room with her stack of books to study and she doesn't look up for two hours! She is very methodical in practicing her math so that she can see it get easier day by day. She amazes me.
The plan is that starting next week, once her schedule is more established and she is more familiar with the demands being placed on her time, she will start to look for suitable employment.
The only thing I want to add is how deeply content I feel as I watch her apply herself, experience new people and ideas, and see the joy she feels in this opportunity. If you have helped by donating money, you can be assured that not a penny of it will be wasted on this ambitious young woman!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
The start of something new!
This evening Fran and I met at 6:00 at the Oaxaca Learning Center, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to prepare young indigenous people from the outlying pueblos for higher education. I had been looking everywhere for this kind of help and it was right under my nose...only 2 blocks away!
Tonight Fran sat down with a wonderful young woman named Sonya, and three very smart and (parenthetically) muy guapo young men who really took their time with her. They explained the program, asked her questions about herself and her ambitions, and signed her up for her first classes, in math and English.
They are going to assess her skills and prepare her for the entrance examinations, but they also have counselors to talk to her about school and career ambitions (which may change as she progresses), and a psychologist to help her with any adjustment difficulties. It is possible that they can help find her a place to live too, either in the house of a Norteamericano/a that might have an extra bedroom, or with a female friend from the Center.
I have reiterated a few times to Fran that it is more important for her to feel confident and prepared for the exams than to take them too soon and feel defeated. She told me that she is going to try to be ready to take them because apparently this September is the last year she will be eligible to receive the $1000 pesos per month (about $79 dollars) from CONAFE. I told her that even if she misses this opportunity to receive that monthly stipend, that shouldn't change anything. Hopefully we can make up that amount in donations.
I also found out (I will confirm this) from Fran that it costs about $700 pesos (about $55 dollars) to take each examination. She was told tonight by Sonya that many people take the exams more than once before they pass. So the cost of the exams will have to be added into the cost of her education too.
Fran seemed very grateful, amazed, and determined to focus hard on her studies. She will quit her job tomorrow! Then the next day she will move in temporarily with me until she settles down to her studies, finds another job, and a place to live. I told her I hope she likes soup! She said no problem, her last employer only fed her once a day. Grrrrrrr!!!!
I believe Fran is about to enter an unfamiliar but very friendly world of people close to her own age, and in a similar situation. She is leaving a world of unpleasant people who used her and held her back. I can't wait to watch her flower!!!
Tonight Fran sat down with a wonderful young woman named Sonya, and three very smart and (parenthetically) muy guapo young men who really took their time with her. They explained the program, asked her questions about herself and her ambitions, and signed her up for her first classes, in math and English.
They are going to assess her skills and prepare her for the entrance examinations, but they also have counselors to talk to her about school and career ambitions (which may change as she progresses), and a psychologist to help her with any adjustment difficulties. It is possible that they can help find her a place to live too, either in the house of a Norteamericano/a that might have an extra bedroom, or with a female friend from the Center.
I have reiterated a few times to Fran that it is more important for her to feel confident and prepared for the exams than to take them too soon and feel defeated. She told me that she is going to try to be ready to take them because apparently this September is the last year she will be eligible to receive the $1000 pesos per month (about $79 dollars) from CONAFE. I told her that even if she misses this opportunity to receive that monthly stipend, that shouldn't change anything. Hopefully we can make up that amount in donations.
I also found out (I will confirm this) from Fran that it costs about $700 pesos (about $55 dollars) to take each examination. She was told tonight by Sonya that many people take the exams more than once before they pass. So the cost of the exams will have to be added into the cost of her education too.
Fran seemed very grateful, amazed, and determined to focus hard on her studies. She will quit her job tomorrow! Then the next day she will move in temporarily with me until she settles down to her studies, finds another job, and a place to live. I told her I hope she likes soup! She said no problem, her last employer only fed her once a day. Grrrrrrr!!!!
I believe Fran is about to enter an unfamiliar but very friendly world of people close to her own age, and in a similar situation. She is leaving a world of unpleasant people who used her and held her back. I can't wait to watch her flower!!!
Monday, January 21, 2013
3-week plan
It's a little daunting, but one does need to have a plan!
Ours is that Fran will quit her job this coming Sunday (January 27). She will spend the following week choosing three alternatives for college, finding out their entrance exam dates, and investigating all their requirements. She will not work during that week. Marisol and I will provide her food and board and encouragement.
The following week, presumably knowing what will be required of her in terms of school schedule and exams, she will look for suitable employment that will allow her time to attend school
And the week after that, assuming she has found a job, she will look for a shared room to live in, outside of the dominion and control of any employer.
Of course this plan will be subject to any powerful reality that chooses to rear its head, but it will move us in the the right direction.
Ours is that Fran will quit her job this coming Sunday (January 27). She will spend the following week choosing three alternatives for college, finding out their entrance exam dates, and investigating all their requirements. She will not work during that week. Marisol and I will provide her food and board and encouragement.
The following week, presumably knowing what will be required of her in terms of school schedule and exams, she will look for suitable employment that will allow her time to attend school
And the week after that, assuming she has found a job, she will look for a shared room to live in, outside of the dominion and control of any employer.
Of course this plan will be subject to any powerful reality that chooses to rear its head, but it will move us in the the right direction.
Some fear and uncertainty
It's not surprising that Fran is worried about passing the exams she will need to pass to get into school. She spoke to a friend and "counselor" who scared her about how hard the exams will be, and she started thinking maybe she should consider an easier route...a school that will prepare her to teach physical education to grade school kids. She says it would guarantee her a job. I am not sure how much of a future it would offer beyond that.
Marisol and I talked to her at some length and encouraged her not to let fear dictate her choices. I realized more concretely that she may need some preparatory coursework for the exams or a tutor to assess her skills and areas for improvement. So I am trying to line someone up for that starting next week. Even if this delays her entering school, it may be well worth it to give her the best chance of passing the exams and to build her confidence.
This is really a step by step process. I am, with Marisol's help, doing what I can to lay out the next steps and push her toward her goal, but I think we also need to build a larger support group around her, people (Mexican) who know the ropes and are willing to share their advice and experience.
Marisol and I talked to her at some length and encouraged her not to let fear dictate her choices. I realized more concretely that she may need some preparatory coursework for the exams or a tutor to assess her skills and areas for improvement. So I am trying to line someone up for that starting next week. Even if this delays her entering school, it may be well worth it to give her the best chance of passing the exams and to build her confidence.
This is really a step by step process. I am, with Marisol's help, doing what I can to lay out the next steps and push her toward her goal, but I think we also need to build a larger support group around her, people (Mexican) who know the ropes and are willing to share their advice and experience.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Preparing for entrance exams
Fran's job is NOT to worry about whether sufficient donations will come in to allow her to finish her first year in school, but to study for her entrance examination. She may take more than one. Yesterday I bought her a study guide to help, and will give her money to go to the bookstore herself to see if there are more study guides to help her. She's a bit concerned about her algebra skills...aren't we all?
She is still working 7 days a week. Today is Sunday, her only half-day, so I expect to see her this afternoon. There will be more news after we chat.
She is still working 7 days a week. Today is Sunday, her only half-day, so I expect to see her this afternoon. There will be more news after we chat.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
We can now receive PayPal donations!!!
Paypal donations can now go directly to Fran's account. You can now "send money" to this email address:
franciscaeducationfund@gmail.com
Thank you!
franciscaeducationfund@gmail.c
Thank you!
New Donation Account in Oregon!
This is wonderful news for donors residing in the United States. You can now make a contribution by mailing a check to our new donation account at the Oregon Community Credit Union!
Thanks to our original donor, Leeann Agost, for doing all the footwork to open this account!
Please mail donations to:
OCCU
PO Box 77002
Springfield, OR 97475-1046
Make checks out to: Francisca Education Fund
We will let you know when you can make PayPal donations to this account.
Fran only needs $600 dollars more for the 2013-14 academic year, plus the donation of a laptop/notebook computer (or additional funds -- about $350 -- to purchase one here in Mexico). The computer is a one-time expense that will benefit her for her entire academic career!
Thanks to our original donor, Leeann Agost, for doing all the footwork to open this account!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Fran will need a computer
A productive Sunday
Francisca came by today and talked at length with my neighbor Sharon in English about her situation, and also to Marisol, my Mexican apartment-mate. Marisol is an elementary school teacher with a degree from UNAM, is fluent in French and English, and is currently obtaining her Master's degree via the internet from UNAM in Mexico City. She has a lot of good advice and information to offer to Fran.
I think Fran learned a lot, and is now starting to prepare herself for the exams she will have to take to get in the schools she is interested in. We found out that it will be impossible to make an appointment with admissions counselors until after February 1 when school is back in session.
Fran spent a couple of hours or more on my computer investigating resources on the web to help her prepare for the exams, and spent some time reviewing algebra and math tutoring sites in Spanish. I will go look at an academic bookstore here in Oaxaca, Proveedora Escolar, to look for study guides. Actually, I'll do that on Wednesday when my Social Security check comes in!
It looks like she is going to hang on to her present job another week or two, possibly until February 1 when we can start investigating specific schools and their application process in earnest. After that she will quit her job and move in with us until she finds a suitable job and place to live.
The wheel keeps turning!
I think Fran learned a lot, and is now starting to prepare herself for the exams she will have to take to get in the schools she is interested in. We found out that it will be impossible to make an appointment with admissions counselors until after February 1 when school is back in session.
Fran spent a couple of hours or more on my computer investigating resources on the web to help her prepare for the exams, and spent some time reviewing algebra and math tutoring sites in Spanish. I will go look at an academic bookstore here in Oaxaca, Proveedora Escolar, to look for study guides. Actually, I'll do that on Wednesday when my Social Security check comes in!
It looks like she is going to hang on to her present job another week or two, possibly until February 1 when we can start investigating specific schools and their application process in earnest. After that she will quit her job and move in with us until she finds a suitable job and place to live.
The wheel keeps turning!
Saturday, January 12, 2013
A good day for Francisca
She doesn't know it yet, but we received two donations today totaling $360 from two Stateside women. That brings her total to $7,417 pesos or $586.
How much do we need? GOOD QUESTION! Fran and I will be visiting Miahuatlan or one of the other State colleges as soon as we can get an appointment with an admissions counselor. That should happen sometime in the next couple of weeks. After that visit I will draw up an accurate budget and we will know how much more we need for her to complete the 2013-2014 academic year.
I could be t o t a l l y wrong, but I think a lowball estimate of how much she'll need per year is between $15,000 and 20,000 pesos ($1,186 to $1,582).
We pretty much need to raise all the money she needs for the coming academic year by July, when tuition is due, so we'll feel secure that we won't have to yank her out when she's halfway through. Once that's taken care of, we can turn our attention to 2014-2015.
There should be a donation account set up for Fran sometime next week. I will let you know how that's going. Thank you Leean and Steven for doing the legwork on this, and on the website for Fran which also should be up soon.
How much do we need? GOOD QUESTION! Fran and I will be visiting Miahuatlan or one of the other State colleges as soon as we can get an appointment with an admissions counselor. That should happen sometime in the next couple of weeks. After that visit I will draw up an accurate budget and we will know how much more we need for her to complete the 2013-2014 academic year.
I could be t o t a l l y wrong, but I think a lowball estimate of how much she'll need per year is between $15,000 and 20,000 pesos ($1,186 to $1,582).
We pretty much need to raise all the money she needs for the coming academic year by July, when tuition is due, so we'll feel secure that we won't have to yank her out when she's halfway through. Once that's taken care of, we can turn our attention to 2014-2015.
There should be a donation account set up for Fran sometime next week. I will let you know how that's going. Thank you Leean and Steven for doing the legwork on this, and on the website for Fran which also should be up soon.
In a nutshell
If we can make it possible for Fran to start full time in a university in September, she will start receiving $1000 pesos per month (about $79. USD) from CONAFE, part of the Mexican government. It isn't much, but it would pay her rent, or buy some books. Think of it as a small matching fund for our efforts to keep her in school!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Emergency meeting
When a person is caught in a historical system that is completely stacked against them, they need help to overcome the many obstacles that have been placed in their path. This is not a quick or easy process, especially with limited resources. There is a caste system in Mexico, and it is almost impossible to break out of it, especially for a young indigenous female. Young indigenous females have 40 or 50 good years ahead of them of being a work horse for a Mexican family. All of their avenues of escape have been cut off, and it takes dedicated time and resources to spring them from the trap. $100 and a kiss on the cheek won't get the job done.
So a few of us had a meeting to decide what the next step should be. Fran, Marisol (my roommate, who is an elementary school teacher here in Oaxaca), my good friend David and his girlfriend, and my neighbor Sharon. We put our heads together.
It was agreed that:
1. Fran should quit this job and stay with me and Marisol until she finds a job in a store, hotel, or restaurant that will suit her needs and allow her to go to school.
2. That she will never again work in a household, or live with her employers.
3. That once she is settled in a suitable job, she will start looking for a room of her own, or to share with someone.
4. That she start the process of enrolling in a university for September. This is no small thing. It means gathering information, gathering her paperwork, making an application, taking tests, visiting the school, and probably moving to another city, possibly Miahuatlan -- 2 hours away. Why? The university in Oaxaca City has a horrible reputation and is barely functioning. The State schools in outlying pueblos such as Miahuatlan are better quality and less expensive. And she can find a room for less money too.
5. I and others will continue to try and find donations to put in her account so that she can attend school without interruption until she graduates in 4 years.
Here is a picture I took last night of Fran taking notes from the internet about the college in Miahuatlan.
So a few of us had a meeting to decide what the next step should be. Fran, Marisol (my roommate, who is an elementary school teacher here in Oaxaca), my good friend David and his girlfriend, and my neighbor Sharon. We put our heads together.
It was agreed that:
1. Fran should quit this job and stay with me and Marisol until she finds a job in a store, hotel, or restaurant that will suit her needs and allow her to go to school.
2. That she will never again work in a household, or live with her employers.
3. That once she is settled in a suitable job, she will start looking for a room of her own, or to share with someone.
4. That she start the process of enrolling in a university for September. This is no small thing. It means gathering information, gathering her paperwork, making an application, taking tests, visiting the school, and probably moving to another city, possibly Miahuatlan -- 2 hours away. Why? The university in Oaxaca City has a horrible reputation and is barely functioning. The State schools in outlying pueblos such as Miahuatlan are better quality and less expensive. And she can find a room for less money too.
5. I and others will continue to try and find donations to put in her account so that she can attend school without interruption until she graduates in 4 years.
Here is a picture I took last night of Fran taking notes from the internet about the college in Miahuatlan.
Third job is the charm?
The day after Fran returned from visiting her family, she started her new job. There would be 2 days of training in preparation for the restaurant's opening day. From all appearances, the restaurant will be very successful as there were many people crowding the place for the opening.
It would take a few days for her new room to be ready. It was an unfinished room on the second floor of the family's house that had been used as a bodega (storage). Fran said that it had a window and a door that faced the street. Or rather a doorway. The door itself was missing...blown down in a storm. There was a bed. There was no water for her to use for washing, so she would have to wash her clothes at my house once or twice a week.
The only way for Fran to get into her room was to knock on the front door of the family's house and pass through their living quarters and up the stairs.
By the end of the week, Fran realized not only that the family had lied to her about her hours, but had extended her work week to include her only day, Sunday. Instead of getting off every evening at 5:30, she was working until 8pm. And instead of paying her a bit more for working Sunday, the family wants to reduce her pay because they are providing her a room.
You might be curious about how much Fran makes for each of her 11 or 12-hour days. She gets 100 pesos, or $7.91 dollars per day. This is before the expected reduction in pay.
So once again, Fran is unable to take a class or study English with me.
It would take a few days for her new room to be ready. It was an unfinished room on the second floor of the family's house that had been used as a bodega (storage). Fran said that it had a window and a door that faced the street. Or rather a doorway. The door itself was missing...blown down in a storm. There was a bed. There was no water for her to use for washing, so she would have to wash her clothes at my house once or twice a week.
The only way for Fran to get into her room was to knock on the front door of the family's house and pass through their living quarters and up the stairs.
By the end of the week, Fran realized not only that the family had lied to her about her hours, but had extended her work week to include her only day, Sunday. Instead of getting off every evening at 5:30, she was working until 8pm. And instead of paying her a bit more for working Sunday, the family wants to reduce her pay because they are providing her a room.
You might be curious about how much Fran makes for each of her 11 or 12-hour days. She gets 100 pesos, or $7.91 dollars per day. This is before the expected reduction in pay.
So once again, Fran is unable to take a class or study English with me.
Fran visits her family
Fran was about to start the third job since I had met her. It looked like this one would allow her to attend school and have a bit of stability, at least for a while.
There was a short break before she had to start, so she went to visit her family. She hadn't been able to see them for 7 months, and her previous employer had refused to let her off even for a few days to visit them over Navidad (Christmas). So she grabbed the opportunity to see her mother, father, and two younger brothers. Here are some photos she brought back. The first one is of her two younger brothers.
And here she is with her brothers....
And with a young cousin, her father and the older of her two younger brothers.
Here is Fran with two young cousins -- one of them is having a birthday. Note the bare-bones construction of the house, open to the wind and weather. This is typical of tiny pueblos like Fran's.
And lastly, here is Fran's mother and Fran's little cousins.
There was a short break before she had to start, so she went to visit her family. She hadn't been able to see them for 7 months, and her previous employer had refused to let her off even for a few days to visit them over Navidad (Christmas). So she grabbed the opportunity to see her mother, father, and two younger brothers. Here are some photos she brought back. The first one is of her two younger brothers.
Escape
One day, as I was buying my weekly supply of fresh squeezed juice from my favorite vendor at the market, I ran into Fran. She is so small that I almost didn't see her, a smiling face in the middle of a crush of people.
After asking her a few questions, I confirmed that her current employer was abusing her and making it impossible to use the money that had been donated to her to attend her computer class. I told her it was time to quit. I said she could move in with me, sleep on my couch, until she found another job.
The middle-aged couple who ran the juice stand heard us talking and offered her a job in a new restaurant they were opening with their daughter. They promised that Fran would be released every day by 5:30 so she could attend an evening class. She would work 6 days a week and have Sundays off!
Fran and I couldn't believe our luck.
Fran had to find a way to get out of her current situation. She was afraid of her employer, and was afraid she would not be paid for the work she had done the previous week if she resigned. So she told the senora that she had a family emergency that she needed to take care of on Sunday, and could she get her salary to pay for her trip?
The next morning, while the senora was out on an errand, the young men who worked in the bakery helped Fran load her things into a taxi and she was gone. She arrived at my place with everything she owned in two suitcases.
Her new job would start in a few days.
After asking her a few questions, I confirmed that her current employer was abusing her and making it impossible to use the money that had been donated to her to attend her computer class. I told her it was time to quit. I said she could move in with me, sleep on my couch, until she found another job.
The middle-aged couple who ran the juice stand heard us talking and offered her a job in a new restaurant they were opening with their daughter. They promised that Fran would be released every day by 5:30 so she could attend an evening class. She would work 6 days a week and have Sundays off!
Fran and I couldn't believe our luck.
Fran had to find a way to get out of her current situation. She was afraid of her employer, and was afraid she would not be paid for the work she had done the previous week if she resigned. So she told the senora that she had a family emergency that she needed to take care of on Sunday, and could she get her salary to pay for her trip?
The next morning, while the senora was out on an errand, the young men who worked in the bakery helped Fran load her things into a taxi and she was gone. She arrived at my place with everything she owned in two suitcases.
Her new job would start in a few days.
Another setback
Fran soon found that her new employer was not going to allow her to attend school, and that she was expected to work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. The "senora" was physically and verbally abusive and mistreated not only Fran but her other employees, young indigenous men who served in her bakery.
In addition, she had no time to come for English lessons, and because she worked every day, I rarely saw her. It became apparent to me that if she stayed with the senora, her dreams would be dead. Unfortunately, many Mexicans abuse the indigenous people who work for them. They do not treat them as if they were people with aspirations and plans of their own, but as mindless workers willing to endure conditions that are basically indentured slavery. The poverty among indigenous people in Mexico is ugly and real, and in their desperation they will put up with maltreatment just to survive.
I wanted Fran to somehow escape this kind of powerless servitude. I hope you will help me to help her. Thank you for reading this.
In addition, she had no time to come for English lessons, and because she worked every day, I rarely saw her. It became apparent to me that if she stayed with the senora, her dreams would be dead. Unfortunately, many Mexicans abuse the indigenous people who work for them. They do not treat them as if they were people with aspirations and plans of their own, but as mindless workers willing to endure conditions that are basically indentured slavery. The poverty among indigenous people in Mexico is ugly and real, and in their desperation they will put up with maltreatment just to survive.
I wanted Fran to somehow escape this kind of powerless servitude. I hope you will help me to help her. Thank you for reading this.
First donors
When I returned from the States, I received a visit from a friend from Oregon who visits Oaxaca every year with her husband. She had already been in Oaxaca a month, but because of the visit with my granddaughter and my visit to the States we had missed each other. Leean was about to fly back to Oregon in 2 days time.
While we drank tea and caught up with our lives, I told her about Fran and her situation. Leean expressed sympathy, and then we went on to talk about other things.
That evening, Leean sent me an email saying that she and her husband Steve wanted to help. They wanted to meet Fran, and invited us to meet with them the evening before their departure in their hotel room. After a series of frantic text messages trying to organize the meeting with Fran, we showed up at 7:30.
Fran tried to explain her situation in Spanish, but even though Leean and I are intermediate speakers, we felt we were missing too much. So Leean had the brilliant idea of opening her computer and using the Bing Translator to talk back and forth with Fran. The translator is not great, but it was good enough to allow Fran to answer Leean's many questions.
Then we used Google maps to find Fran's remote pueblo, and were amazed that we could actually see the main square of her village, the church, and the street where she lived. Leean provided this information about how to find her village on the map:
To see her Pueblo . . .1. search the following
"Santa Maria Papalo, Mexico"
@ http://maps.google.com/
2. San Pedro Cuyaltepec is
about 1 mile SE . . .
3. there is a basket ball court & school
4. her family house is N of the school
At the end of the evening, Leean and Steve gave Fran a donation towards her education which has been safely tucked away. Fran said that she was sure she could get off work in time to attend an evening class in computer maintenance.
Meanwhile Fran and I would start planning how she could start attending the university in September, and Leean and I both agreed to look for more donors to keep her going toward her goal. The good news is that she needs comparatively little.
WE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR DONATIONS FOR THE 2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR FROM BETWEEN $10 and $100. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION, DROP ME A LINE AT: lcassady@gmail.com.
While we drank tea and caught up with our lives, I told her about Fran and her situation. Leean expressed sympathy, and then we went on to talk about other things.
That evening, Leean sent me an email saying that she and her husband Steve wanted to help. They wanted to meet Fran, and invited us to meet with them the evening before their departure in their hotel room. After a series of frantic text messages trying to organize the meeting with Fran, we showed up at 7:30.
Fran tried to explain her situation in Spanish, but even though Leean and I are intermediate speakers, we felt we were missing too much. So Leean had the brilliant idea of opening her computer and using the Bing Translator to talk back and forth with Fran. The translator is not great, but it was good enough to allow Fran to answer Leean's many questions.
Then we used Google maps to find Fran's remote pueblo, and were amazed that we could actually see the main square of her village, the church, and the street where she lived. Leean provided this information about how to find her village on the map:
To see her Pueblo . . .1. search the following
"Santa Maria Papalo, Mexico"
@ http://maps.google.com/
2. San Pedro Cuyaltepec is
about 1 mile SE . . .
3. there is a basket ball court & school
4. her family house is N of the school
At the end of the evening, Leean and Steve gave Fran a donation towards her education which has been safely tucked away. Fran said that she was sure she could get off work in time to attend an evening class in computer maintenance.
Meanwhile Fran and I would start planning how she could start attending the university in September, and Leean and I both agreed to look for more donors to keep her going toward her goal. The good news is that she needs comparatively little.
WE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR DONATIONS FOR THE 2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR FROM BETWEEN $10 and $100. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION, DROP ME A LINE AT: lcassady@gmail.com.
Hard winds of change
Just before I flew back to the States with my granddaughter for a visit, Fran arrived at my door one morning in tears. Lady Fate was starting to pull Fran towards her destiny. She had just been fired from her job at the Posada with only 2 days notice. This meant that aside from being jobless, she was also homeless.
When indigenous girls come down to the big city from their distant pueblos they have no family to rely on, and they must find work that also offers them a place to live, usually a small room with no windows and a mattress on the floor. Living with their employers makes them totally dependent and vulnerable. Often their employer wants to reduce their pay because they are providing a "room", spaces which are often filthy or unfinished, lacking electricity, furniture, and even access to water for washing their clothes.
Because I was leaving the next day, and because I felt I could not offer Fran a place to stay with my roommate who had already made plans for the apartment during my 10-day absence, the best I could offer Fran was that she could stay with me after I returned. But that didn't solve her problem. She would be turned out onto the street in two days.
What Fran did after I left was go to the local market and look desperately for employment that would include a place to live. She found a job in the house of a woman who owned a bakery in the market. The woman had a dirty, flea-ridden room with a mattress on the floor. Fran started her new job, which required working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day.
When indigenous girls come down to the big city from their distant pueblos they have no family to rely on, and they must find work that also offers them a place to live, usually a small room with no windows and a mattress on the floor. Living with their employers makes them totally dependent and vulnerable. Often their employer wants to reduce their pay because they are providing a "room", spaces which are often filthy or unfinished, lacking electricity, furniture, and even access to water for washing their clothes.
Because I was leaving the next day, and because I felt I could not offer Fran a place to stay with my roommate who had already made plans for the apartment during my 10-day absence, the best I could offer Fran was that she could stay with me after I returned. But that didn't solve her problem. She would be turned out onto the street in two days.
What Fran did after I left was go to the local market and look desperately for employment that would include a place to live. She found a job in the house of a woman who owned a bakery in the market. The woman had a dirty, flea-ridden room with a mattress on the floor. Fran started her new job, which required working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day.
Hana and Fran
Fran's video
My lessons with Fran continued like clockwork for 3 weeks. She got her lessons and I got my trash picked up! Her English was progressing rapidly and she arrived prepared, her homework completed, and ready to go on to the next learning challenge.
I found out that Fran's first language was Cuicateco, and that she was one of the rare native speakers of that dying language. I wanted to help Fran preserve her language, and we came up with the idea of making a series of videos on YouTube. The series is called "Learn to speak Cuicateco with Fran." After we made the first one, a series of jolting events took place, but we will soon continue with more videos -- I'll keep you posted!
I found out that Fran's first language was Cuicateco, and that she was one of the rare native speakers of that dying language. I wanted to help Fran preserve her language, and we came up with the idea of making a series of videos on YouTube. The series is called "Learn to speak Cuicateco with Fran." After we made the first one, a series of jolting events took place, but we will soon continue with more videos -- I'll keep you posted!
Trato Hecho! (It's a deal!)
Fran started her English lessons on Friday, October 12, and on that first day she asked if she could have not one free lesson per week, but three!!! I hesitated for a moment, laughed, and then accepted. We scheduled the lessons for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, which just happened to be the day the trash truck came at about 11:30 a.m. Since I couldn't hear the bell, Fran agreed to ring my doorbell when it arrived. It was a perfect arrangement, but it wasn't to last long. The wheels of her future engaged and started to pull her towards her goal in earnest.
How we met
Fran and I met on a street corner near my house as we waited for the arrival of the garbage truck. Actually, I had been standing for 15 minutes looking out my door for the arrival of the truck because I am too deaf to hear the flimsy bell that announces it's arrival on the corner. But seeing Fran walking up the street with her load meant that she had heard the bell!
Fran was carrying bags of trash and garbage from the posada where she worked (and lived) as a "limpiadora" or cleaning woman. It turned out the posada was right across the street from my apartment, so we were neighbors.
I liked her right away. She had a bright smile, lots of energy, and made a real effort to communicate with me in Spanish by speaking clearly and slowly. I don't know what made me do this, but I asked her if she wanted to learn English -- I am certified to teach ESL -- and she eagerly accepted my offer. I told her I would teach her once a week for free.
Thus began our shared journey.
Fran was carrying bags of trash and garbage from the posada where she worked (and lived) as a "limpiadora" or cleaning woman. It turned out the posada was right across the street from my apartment, so we were neighbors.
I liked her right away. She had a bright smile, lots of energy, and made a real effort to communicate with me in Spanish by speaking clearly and slowly. I don't know what made me do this, but I asked her if she wanted to learn English -- I am certified to teach ESL -- and she eagerly accepted my offer. I told her I would teach her once a week for free.
Thus began our shared journey.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Her ambition to get an education has been a struggle of epic proportions. Pursuing a high school degree meant that she had to move away from her family to another village that had a high school for her to attend. Then she taught children in a one-room school house for 2 years in a government program. Finally she came down from the mountains to Oaxaca City to find her way and pursue a university degree. All of this has required that she live apart from her family for the last 7 years, and it has also required a great deal of courage to face mounting obstacles.
Recently her situation has drawn the attention and sympathy of visiting citizens from the U.S. who are trying to raise money for her education by telling her story and monitoring her progress. This blog will aim to do that.
The author of this blog is me, a retired woman living in Oaxaca and helping to coordinate efforts on Fran's behalf. Welcome to the small community that is working to make sure that Fran achieves her goal of obtaining a 4-year university degree.
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