Today's weather in Angangueo, Michoacan, Mexico >> (19 N, -100 W)

October 24, 2007

Dear friends from Journey South:

I think that in my next report, there must be some news about Monarchs seen overflying our mountains. We have had windy and cold days, since there is a Tropical Storm in the Pacific, but in some hours, it will get better.

We are now in class preparing our weekly report for you. For this report, I document with photos, because Mondays are in a way, special for kids from all schools (kindergarten, elementary levels only).

Every monday, parents organize a "Mañanita Alegre", "Mercadito" or "Kermesse" (every school calls it in a different way), so that mothers of children from every group, starting from the 1st. grade, prepare different Mexican dishes or snacks to be sold to children at school at very low prices. All what is prepared must be as nutritious as possible.

So today, it was my daughter's group turn, and I was there selling chopped fruit.

As an example, if a dish of pozole is 9.00 pesos outside, we will sell it at the school at 3.00. Parents prepare and afford the cost of this and the profit is given to the school as economical support to make improvements.

The rest of the school days, children take lunch from their own homes, and can buy (there is a permanent snacks' little store in every school) some packed snacks there.

I always enjoy to death this activities, specially because looking at the beautiful faces of our children is so rewarding! Today, Laura Emilia and Zaida Zamara were among them.

I am enclosing some photos of this activity and a couple of letters written by Laura Emilia and Zaida Zamara about it too. These photos are from the Colegio Corregidora, our Catholic school in town

I hope you will enjoy, and until next week.



María Estela.