The Council on the Status of Women Grant Application

Project title: Providing Leadership, Justice and Equality for Rural and Urban Women in Central Mexico

Purpose: The basic assumption that drives this project is that mothers are the child`s first teacher and the mothers need to have access to reliable information about how to correctly do that important job specifically as it relates to the education of their children. We believe that those mothers need competent leadership, justice and equity. Leadership: in the form of reliable knowledge about how to help their children. Justice: in the form of opportunities to improve the socio-economic status, advancement opportunities and career options for themselves and their children. Equity: in the form of enough enhanced self-esteem through education to make choices that reduce their risk of abuse by their spouses or others. Too often marginally literate Mexican mothers, especially those in rural areas, do not receive the leadership, justice and equity they need to improve their lives and the lives of their children. In a country whose culture has a deeply engrained class system, the fact that the majority of these rural women are indigenous is a significant factor in their need for this type of assistance.


Most of the women and children who will be reached by this project live one of approximately fifteen villages surrounding the largest dam and body of water in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico or in nearby small towns. Guanajuato is in Central Mexico, about a five hour bus ride north from Mexico City. Guanajuato (GTO) has been the site of a University of Arizona Spanish immersion program for 20 years under Dr. Todd Fletcher of the College of Education, Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and School Psychology. The original program began in 1986 in another part of Mexico; however at this time the relationships that have been established in Guanajuato by Dr. Fletcher and his students enable access to city administrators, public and private schools, women, children and social organizations that would take many years to establish elsewhere. The University of Arizona applicant for this grant has been attending this immersion program consecutively for four years; since 2005. She and her family, including two therapy horses, permanently relocated to the tiny rural village of Cajones in June 2008. This grant request is the result of the economic downturn in the United States and the inability of her non-profit to sell a real estate asset that was to have entirely funded this and many additional programs.


Demonstration of Need: Typical rural visits by two of us: UA student Jacqueline Mackenzie and her translator bring out 100 women and children for advice on how to access an education and receive an evaluation of their children for learning deficiencies or detriments to learning. In each site a medical doctor is present and one nurse. Dr. Lidia Rios, the local medical doctor who asked two of us to do this service, expects us to serve 1,000 children within a short time on a rotating basis. The GTO Department of Health approved this program and scheduled the visits 17 December 2008 under Dr. Hector Jesus Garcia Romo, 011-52-1-473-732-14-67, hegaromo@hotmail.com. Our desire is to find funding and donations of supplies to enable us to bring more volunteers, a mobile teaching bus for educational tutoring and parenting classes and a variety of needed supplies while on site plus additional permanent services in Cajones.


We begin each rural visit with a mini lesson to explain why early stimulation of the infant`s brain and body are vital to educational success later in life. Then we ask the mothers to tell us what hampers learning for their children. The teachers are often described by the mothers as unmotivated; further questioning reveals one teacher for 38-45 kindergarten students, no teacher`s assistants. In the primary and secondary schools each teacher has 70-90 students; two complete classes each. There is no school bus service for students so there is usually any access to teachers after grade six; often grades levels are missing all year due to no classroom available or teachers who arrive only two days a week. Most teachers in Mexico travel to schools by public bus. Many rural areas lack bus service and teachers may not be able to catch a ride hitch-hiking or lack the motivation to even try to attend classes.


In these villages there are shortages of health care (no means to get to a clinic), mental health care (most of the women admit that being victims of domestic violence is common), crowded minimal housing (in one town nearly 700 people share 116 houses; average 4 families per tiny house) and hygiene conditions are third world standards. Physically the needs are vastly overwhelming. Educationally, there is a severe shortage of teachers, no access to books or items for cognitive stimulation and rarely access to high school. We see a great need for items with letters, numbers or colors written on them: baby rattles, pull toys, educational manipulatives, pencils, pens, paper, tiny simple books in Spanish for the children and the adults. The mothers explained that most of them are unable to read; certainly not to their children.
Procedures: This is a proposal to evaluate what women in central Mexico say they want in their lives and then analyze what they are receiving to see if the support groups helping them are being effective. Too often, programmatic reforms for women are initiated without input from the women, and this is particularly true for indigenous women living in rural areas. All of the leaders assisting these rural women are volunteers spending their own discretionary income to travel to numerous sites and (1) record what they see and (2) state how they assist the women and children and then (3) file the information for later research and action. The participating volunteers believe that the wishes of the women must be solicited, understood, and addressed. A similar program which began in 2007 by two women, a social worker and acupuncturist, has been very successful. They recently received $1,000 in outside funding. Both support groups believe that the wishes of the women are being supported to the best of their abilities with very limited resources. Everyone is in agreement that the rural women are the most likely to not be receiving what they want or adequate services on any rating scale.


Our goal is to reach many rural women verbal and written surveys. The volunteer work being done includes (1) two medical personal accompanying and assisting the UA student, (2) group interviews on the need for educational information services/training: parenting assistance, domestic violence, advancement opportunities and career options and education for themselves and their children (3) three days a week the UA student and translator travel into rural areas and assess the children looking for anything that might prevent learning. We explain to the mothers the need for a child to be physically strong, mentally alert, reactive, socially aware, communicative, and able to show a blend of characteristics that together will make learning easy for the child. We are all looking for any suggestions of a developmental delay that might be overcome with additional exercises, mental or physical, that time devoted to the child might overcome; often this will mean training a parent, sibling, friend or another volunteer or gaining access to other options or assistance. We are assisting children within community centers or health departments, in their own rural homes and with equine therapy and/or tutoring in Cajones. We will begin building dorms to enable us to bring in university student volunteers to also help rural children. We expect this to be a 2-4 year project; this is only the initial part of the program.


Evaluation: The qualitative and quantitative analysis of these visits include: group interviews input to define overall needs, individual interviews of children and written reports will be complied to give us further insight into the best way to proceed to assist these women and children to get the services they need that groups do not currently provide.


Qualifications: These GTO volunteers include: (A) Peggy Johnmingameir, a life-long volunteer coordinator (the wife of a retired minister) with a bachelor`s degree in Spanish and yet incomplete Master`s program in human development, (B) two university students completing their internships in social work in GTO between May 2009 and September 2009, (C) a bilingual special education teacher expanding her Spanish language and cultural skills with a self-designed immersion program in GTO in June and July 2009, (D) Jolene Gailey, a fluent Spanish-speaker and translator with a history as a care-giver of women and children in Columbia, South America including experience as an equestrian specialist with the Girl Scouts who is currently studying equine therapy in Mexico and will be certified in February 2009 and (E) Jacqueline Z. Mackenzie, a University of Arizona doctoral student in special education (bilingual education and language, reading & culture) with years of experience as a teacher and a business manager. The support groups currently helping rural Mexican women are the Women`s and Children`s Shelter through volunteer coordinator Liz Carranza and Las Libres, a woman`s service center, through Veronica Cruz Sanchez; both in the city of GTO, GTO, Mexico.


Budget for April through September 2009: 5 months/23 weeks: We are requesting matching funding for actual gasoline expenses, survey and assessment supplies (office supplies: paper & ink). The average cost of a day`s gasoline is $14 and the average one day of copies of forms for record keeping is $17. (A) Peggy needs office supplies $107 for 5 months (B) Jacqueline and Jolene travel three days a week $14 x 3 and $17 x 3 $93 wk. for 23 weeks. They will be joined by three interns who will also share that vehicle for 12 weeks at no additional gasoline or copy costs = $2,246. Total $2,139 Grant Request: $1,123 matching funds toward actual costs


Addendum & Supporting Material: Jacqueline Zaleski Mackenzie, a University of Arizona doctoral student in special education (two minors: bilingual education and language, reading & culture) phone in Mexico: 011-52-1-473-108-25-78 jzm@email.arizona.edu; PhD Advisor: Dr. Todd Fletcher email: toddf@u.arizona.edu


Address in Mexico: Rancho Cajones, Cajones, Guanajuato, Mexico 36262 USA address: c/o Carol Garr, 2343 West Old Ajo Way, Tucson, AZ 85746-9113 Phone 520-883-4444 or FAX or cell phone 520-403-1103 or email carol@garden-realty.com

Two Non-Profits to enhance rural literacy options; offer rural residents educational opportunities

At midnight on January 23rd, 2009 Jacquie Mackenzie`s PhD advisor Dr. Todd Fletcher of the University of Arizona left Cajones, Guanajauto (GTO), Mexico after almost a week`s stay. Todd is working with the University of Guanajuato and has for many years. In May he will return with 25 or more university students or teachers of psychology, social work, or special needs; this is year 20 of his summer volunteer-in-the-GTO schools program. Many of the events for that 5-week summer immersion session were put into place during his visit between Jan 19th and Jan 23rd. Todd is like a tornado when he enters GTO, but all seems to fall into place before he leaves. He has such high enthusiasm and such deep ethics; everyone is so honored to work with him.

A NGO (non-governmental organization) will be created soon to run Resplendor in Cajones. Our dedication ceremony will be June 13th when Dr. Ron Marx, the Dean of the College of Education of the University of Arizona is with us. We will then walk 100 meters to eat at Tierra de Verano. All the local GTO officers of Tierra de Verano (Jacqueline & Donald Mackenzie) and Resplendor (Dr. Todd Fletcher) signed the contract for the Resplendor property; work will begin next week and Phase One done by May 30th of three initial phases. Todd is committed to the NGO buying additional property for expansion if necessary. All work by Tierra de Verano and Resplendor is 100% non-profit. Donations are being solicited through grants and sources predominately outside GTO Mexico; volunteers from anywhere and everywhere.

We met with all the local political leaders, medical personnel (including the GTO Department of Health and DIF administrators) and local officials to get their blessings on these various projects. We explained that all lessons are academic material only (absolutely non-religious in nature) and our intension is that all services to Mexican resid ents are free of charges. We are planning to build up to 27 dorm rooms for visiting volunteers for the rural schools and the library as well as additional volunteer opportunities though out rural GTO.

We firmed up our main goals for the combined facilities: (1) We have begun with building an educational research center and dormitories in Cajones about 100 meters from and overseen by Tierra de Verano. (2) We will bring school teachers and visiting students to GTO to volunteer in the rural communities and schools on a year-round basis. This will include summer programs, in school programs and after school clubs including academics, art, drama and music. (3) We will have one or more mobile classrooms, a big bus or other vehicle with a library and volunteer teachers in it. This will be a classroom for mothers who want to practice reading story books to their children or for children or mothers who want to have tutoring in Spanish or in English. Visiting experts in social work will travel to lecture to rural mothers. We will also advise mothers who have special needs children and screen for those who are as yet unidentified (this process has already begun; over 300 people have already attended screening meetings). (4) We will provide seminars from visiting experts on domestic violence prevention and other topics of interest by mobile access and in the Resplendor facility. (5) We will also offer horse therapy in Cajones at Tierra de Verano and bring children there to improve their physical balance and learning ability with exercises on horses. Some children will be brought in for this specific therapy service. What an eventful week!

For any additional information write jzm@email.arizona.edu or call 473-108-25-78 (English) or 473-108-19-55 (Spanish)

Special Needs but Few Special Services: WIll You Volunteer?

This is one day out volunteering in Central Mexico. These children need your help. If you are inclined to volunteer here for a day, a week or a month, please contact us....

One Day in Puentacillas……My usual 3-4 hours on the computer before making a visit was completed when I made the short trip to the Department of Health in Puentecillas. I had a 9AM appointment to see Dr. Maria; the medical doctor who started me on this journey of assessments of young Mexican children.

As always, she was charming and so were her assistants. It appeared today that not only was I being given 2 nurses and another doctor, but also about 8 medical students too. I was told that I should be done by 10:30AM. I was led into a larger room than normal; four babies were on the one hospital bed. I was told that more mothers and babies were coming; two more sets did arrive.

Jolene was not up and since I was going to a place I knew, I did not awaken her to accompany me and translate. Dr. Lidia was happy to read my intro for Jolene, but to my surprise one of the mother`s was able to speak perfect English and was happy to translate. Therefore, Dr. Maria could go back to work and I was able to start right in explaining my "My interest is anything that hampers learning. ALL babies need stimulation, but some babies may have an area or more where they need some intervention; more concentrated efforts. This means we see a potential problem and do some counter-measures to solve them before the child enters school." I saw seven relatively healthy babies, aged eight days to three months. Three of the seven appeared to need better nutrition, but three of the seven mothers looked like they might have lived on a poor diet during their pregnancies; perhaps before that period too. My four bright, eager mothers had four bright eager babies.

After about an hour, I was told that more people were waiting. I said good-bye quickly, and was hurried into another room for a "break;" I accepted a glass of water. To me this was so funny, because a room filled with relatively normal healthy babies energizes me. I did not know what was coming; they did.

Back into the hospital room I was greeted by many people. Soon the room was filled with mothers or fathers, children with special needs, siblings, friends of the children and a few grandmothers too, along with another M.D. , 2 nurses and medical students;. One of the medical students had enough English to get by with me and three times the willingness necessary to make this a very successful day. I saw 14 more children between 10:15 and 1:15PM. Each one with a story, some of them very sad stories, but each one eager to have me do anything I could, say anything I thought might help them and simply listen to them withtheir feelings of helplessness. Every single parent agreed that they would open their homes and their lives to any university student or visiting teacher who would be willing to work with their child. They all said that the help they did get was never enough; many received no assistance.

1. Armando is 5 years and 1 month old. He is the victim of rigid Cerebral Palsy and Mental Retardation. He lies on his back all the time, he is unable to sit, stand or hold is head up on his own. He does not have a walker or a wheelchair. He has a repeating "startle response." He reaches for his mother. He is deaf, sees poorly, rarely cries and can only eat pureed foods. Grandma`s very tall friend carried him in and out; he`s very thin, but long for such a tiny indigenous woman to carry. He does not attend school and has no therapy outside the home.

2. Gustavo is 7 ½ years of age. He is the victim of rigid Cerebral Palsy. He lies on his back all the time, he is unable to sit, stand, roll or hold is head up on his own. His legs are always bent under him very tightly and very close to his body. He does not have a walker or a wheelchair. He sees only with one eye. His eyes are always moving rapidly and his hands are always clasped very tightly. His mother has been told that he needs surgery to release the tendons; she has saved half the money for that surgery. He can only eat pureed foods and is highly allergic to gluten. He is the victim of hydrocephalus; there is a shunt on the right side of his head. He can hear and responds to his mother. Monday and Thursday each week he goes to Irapuato by bus for therapy.

3. Dalia is a very bright girl of 11 years of age. She loves her 6th grade class at school, does all of her lessons and finishes all of her homework. She is a pretty girl with a shy manner but not afraid to speak when addressed. The right side of Dalia`s body has failed to grow like the left side. When I held out my palms and asked for her hands, a left hand the size of a petite eleven year old girl appeared, but the other hand looked like the hand of a three year old. Dalia wears a shoe lift that is 4-5" tall at the front on her left foot. She has had no surgeries, no braces, has no movement in her left leg and cannot bend her knee. Her father has been told that her tendons are too weak for her to have surgery. A medical doctor from the USA saw her and wanted to do surgery and study her; he said her condition was very rare. She has been to Mexico City to the 20 November Hospital to the Internal Medicine Department in the rheumatology section.

4. Aranza will be five years old in May; she is in preschool. She is in a very small classroom with a very good teacher, but she only speaks five words. She does not know her age, birthday or home address. She cannot name any colors. She has very little control over a pencil or crayon. She is unable to focus due to extreme hyperactivity. She has been given a great deal of medication and her mother gives it to her, but it seems to do very little to help her focus. She is easily angered, frustrated and runs away a lot (twice during a short interview). She is the most hyperactive child I have ever seen.

5. Jose came up to me holding a truck about 4" long that appeared to be very old and worn. It looked like it had been repainted many times. His total focus was on the truck. Jose is 15 years of age and deaf; no hearing in either ear. He no longer attends school. He did attend a school in Leon. He has a diagnosis of ADHD, conduct and learning disabilities and epilepsy (but has been symptom-free for three years). He has been on no medication for the last three years; he was on medication for only two years of his life. He makes sounds that his mother understands. "He lives in his own world" his mother said; no friends. He does not like to be with others, does not look at others, and does not like to be touched. He plays with tiny plastic toys and baby rattles. His appearance is very similar to students I have taught who had a diagnosis of autism. He does not behave in the same social manner as deaf students I have taught.

6. Ana is almost nine years old. She is in the 3rd grade at school. Her left leg is bent in a manner that is unusual; it`s unlike her right leg. She can bend both legs and easily sits on the bed. She has never had an operation or braces. He has many problems walking or running. Her right eye turns inward in the same manner as a child I knew who had the diagnosis of lazy eye but no mention was made of any eye problems.

7. Luis is nearly 11 years of age. He is the victim of hydrocephalus. His head is about 60-70% bigger than normal. His face is extremely flat and square-shaped to the point of giving him a gorilla-like appearance. He is very alert, quiet, social and well behaved. He smiles very easily. He does well in school and likes to play indoors and outdoors with others. He has no problems with fine or gross motor skills. He does not have a shunt; doctors have told his mother he does not need a shunt, but she is concerned and wants another opinion.

8. Jose`s mother describes him as hyperactive. He is in first grade and has lots of problems in school. He is unable to concentrate; he will not do his schoolwork. Jose looks normal in all other ways, plays well with others, is very alert to other people, talks easily and is described as a very social boy.

9. Esmeralda is thirteen years of age and in 6th grade. She is very small and very thin. She cannot read, cannot write, and "can`t even do her coins" she mother told me. Esmeralda has been diagnosed as being the victim of dyslexia and dysgraphia; she may have dyscalculia. She is "unable to learn" her mother told me. "She does not behave, is very negative and will not help" (her mother). She does not have friends. Her mother stated, "She does not know how to play." Not a word came from Esmeralda during our interview, although she had good eyecontact she smiled very nervously and kept running her hands over her face and intertwining them with each other in an odd "fitful, nervous" manner the entire time.

10. Mario is six years old and small for his age. During his birth, his right arm was pulled out of the socket. The arm is weaker than his other arm and more listless. He has a very hard time raising his arm; about shoulder level is as high as he can raise it. His shoulder has an abnormal slant to it. He is able to climb trees, he is well behaved and very smart. He does very well in school. His mother has been told that he needs an operation, but the family cannot afford one.

11. Cristian is almost six years of age. He is in his last year of pre-school. He has a lot of trouble speaking and pronouncing. He has had no speech therapy.

12. Polr is nearly three years old. He has an overall dull appearance, not obviously MR but certainly not alert and curious. He has many problems with language. He tries to speak, but is unable to do so. His mother says he knows all the words for things, what an item is used for and it`s name but he cannot say it. He is well behaved.

13. Elizabeth is eight years old and does not go to public school. She has attention problems and looks overweight. Her diagnosis is autism. Her mother says "she grew too fast, she is angry, she throws things and has many other problems too." Elizabeth goes to therapy, in GTO with an association civil on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Her mother works so Elizabeth is cared for by her 18 year old sister most of the time.

I have parent`s names, addresses and other contact information for all of these children so that students can visit them this summer. Dr. Maria informed me that these are only a few of those children with special needs who live in the immediate area of Puentacillas. Dr. Maria promised that I will meet many more on February 13th. She informed me that both the regional manager and the man who oversees GTO and rural villages are looking for reports from me and any ideas I might have. They want me to teach the medical people everything I know and help the mothers too.
The suggestion got around to pamphlets on nutrition and Dr. Maria informed me that information is available but there are no funds for copies, no printers and no paper. The women have a class once a year and some draw their own reminders as a poster; few of them are able to read.

The Relationship of Two Non-Proifts: ingles y espanol

Tierra de Verano: A Non-Sectarian Group of Volunteer Teachers

Summerland Monastery, a USA non-profit founded in 1991; relocated to Central Mexico from Arizona in June 2008. We offer free educational services. We plan to build a library and dorm rooms for visiting university students who will reach rural mothers and children with a mobile classroom. Our public outreach will combine alternative education and a community library-literacy center for the empowerment of Mexican youth who are living with less than they would have with more education: serving them through education, arts, drama, and equine-therapy. We are located in Cajones, Guanajuato adjunct to, and in cooperation with, Resplandor.

Tierra de Verano: Un Grupo no sectario de Maestros de voluntarios
El Monasterio de Summerland, un EEUU no lucrativo fundado en 1991; trasladó a México Central de Arizona en junio 2008. Ofrecemos libertamos servicios educativos. Planeamos construir unos cuartos de la biblioteca y el dormitorio para visitar a estudiantes de universidad que alcanzarán madres y a niños rurales con un aula de móvil. Nuestro alcance público combinará la educación alternativa y un centro de biblioteca-capacidad de leer y escribir de comunidad para la autorización de juventud mexicana que viven con menos que ellos tendrían con más educación: los sirviendo por educación, por las artes, por el drama, y por equino-terapia. Somos situados en Cajones, adjunto de Guanajuato a, y en la cooperación con, Resplandor.

Summerland – Tierra de Verano, 501©(3) /Rancho Cajones, Cajones, Guanajuato, México 36262 Phone: 473-108-25-78 (Eng) - 473-108-19-55 (Spanish) - E-mail: jzm@email.arizona.edu www.summerlandmonastery.org Jacquie Mackenzie, Jolene Gailey or Don Mackenzie

Resplandor: The Center for Maximizing Human Potential

Resplandor is a humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the education and development of families, children and youth through educational training, consultation and professional development programs. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through educational programs and related activities that build local capacity in underserved populations and communities. By offering specialized training, educational services, and professional development programs on behalf of local and underserved populations, Resplandor’s goal is to maximize human potential development for individuals and communities through community based education training and preparation programs.

Resplandor: El Centro para Llevar al máximo Potencial Humano
Resplandor es una organización humanitaria, no lucrativa dedicada a propiciar la mejoría en el nivel de educación y desarrollo de las familias, los niños y los jóvenes a través de la capacitación educativa, la asesoría y los programas de desarrollo profesional. Su misión es mejorar la calidad de vida mediante programas educativos y actividades relacionadas que fortalezcan la capacidad local en las poblaciones y comunidades de escaso desarrollo y que maximicen el potencial de desarrollo individual y comunitario.

Todd Fletcher: toddf@u.arizona.edu or Jacquie Mackenzie: jzm@email.arizona.edu Phone: 473-108-25-78 (Eng) - 473-108-19-55 (Spanish)