la casa morada

Visits to AlSol

2007-06-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

There have been many visits to AlSol over the last few months, from high-profile visits to visits from current and potential donors, as well as microfinance evaluation teams and documentary production teams. The pictures shown above are from February when the US Ambassador to Mexico, Tony Garza, the Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, Karen Hughes, and the governor of Chiapas, Juan, came to San Cristobal to meet with AlSol clients at their cooperative site, Mayan Women of Jovel. There was huge press and attention which AlSol was certainly not accustomed to but handled graciously.

The documentary team led by Melissa Eleidson posted a 5 minute segment of their movie, "The Women of Chiapas" which describes AlSol and some of their clients. Apparently it was screened at this year's Cannes Film Festival. You can check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvhx9KjfFIA

Orchids galore!

2007-05-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

A co-worker invited a few of us over to her home for a Sunday brunch last month and we enjoyed the food and our beautiful surroundings! She has many orchids and other plants that she and her husband take care of. Their nursery is an outdoor museum that is open to the public Monday-Saturday. I loved this particular orchid, to me it's a trio of dancing ballerinas :)

Cañon del Sumidero

2007-04-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Chiapas is full of beautiful natural sights and I was fortunate to tour the famous Cañon del Sumidero (Sumidero's Canyon) twice in the last few months. The first time, my camera wasn't working, so I couldn't take any pictures :( but I made sure I could take photos the second time around...It is vast space (the highest cliffs are 1000 meters) and it encloses the river Grijalva (up to 100 meters in depth). As you go through the boat excursion and enter these immense canyon walls, you can't help but feel very small and insignificant...You can see spider monkeys, crocodiles, cranes and other birds, and even a hydroelectric plant at the end of the tour! During the rainy season the vegation is much greener and brighter. Let's see if I'll go once more :)

Tulum Mayan Ruins and Beach

2007-04-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

My sister, Carolina, and her boyfriend, Matt, recently came to visit me in Mexico :) We first met up in Cancun for a few days and enjoyed the beautiful beaches, warm weather, and festive atmosphere (yes there were plenty of spring breakers!!) and then they came with me to Chiapas to my cold mountain town of San Cristobal. It was amazing to me how much has been invested in the tourism infrastructure in Cancun with their hotel zone, shopping malls, and entertainment centers. I felt like I was in Florida or California and not in Mexico!
Anyways my absolute favorite day was our excursion to Tulum...Impressive Mayan ruins along the majestic turquoise blue Caribbean Sea! We first explored the ruins and then made our way down to the beach and spent the afternoon basking in the sun and swimming in the delicious ocean:) Tulum was a commercial center for the Mayans, they sure chose an incredible location to build their city! Check our more pictures from our trip in the "Photos" link!

AlSol Clients in San Cristobal Area

2007-03-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

Focus Groups with AlSol Clients

2007-03-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

I have been conducting focus groups with clients as part of the market research I am doing for AlSol. I did focus groups with clients from the main office of San Cristobal and also two of its branches, Palenque and Yajalon. I have enjoyed going out into the field and speaking with the women about their experiences with AlSol, what their preferences are in service and products, and what suggestions they have for improving the program. It was neat for me to go out to the branches...Palenque is in the Chiapas jungle about 5 hours away from San Cristobal, famous for its impressive Mayan ruins! I didn't have time to see them, fortunately I have seen them on a previous trip to Mexico :) Yajalon is about 3.5 hours away from San Cristobal in a valley surrounded by beautiful green mountains. I had wanted to go to these branches since I first arrived so it was good for me to visit these regions and meet AlSol clients. AlSol serves women, indigenous and non-indigenous in semi-urban and rural areas.

Virgen de Guadalupe

2006-12-20T21:21:00.000-08:00

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So December 12th was the celebrated Virgen de Guadalupe Day. For many previous nights you could sense the preparations with marimba music and lots of fireworks! Also many groups of youth would run towards the Guadalupe chapel in San Cristobal proudly displaying their torches. Although they would would travel from far away municipalities and communities and they were obviously exhausted by the time they arrived to San Cris, they would persevere out of faith and devotion to their Virgen Guadalupana. This is a tradition that is celebrated all over the country and is especially noteworthy at the Basilica in Mexico City. I loved watching the parade of children dressed in traditional Mexican dress and arriving at the chapel to pay homage and receive their blessing.

Feliz Dia de Accion de Gracias!

2006-11-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to all of you! I decided to celebrate the holiday in San Cristobal in company of friends. I wanted to thank them for welcoming me to San Cris and to AlSol and share this beautiful American holiday with them. I prepared the turkey (all 8.6 kg!) and traditional dishes of sweet potato casserole, mixed rice and cranberry sauce. Luckily we had more than enough food for the 16 people that showed up (I had yummy leftovers for the next couple of days!) I was happy the dinner turned out so well, it made the effort worth it! Thanks mom for your recipes :)

Dia de los Muertos

2006-11-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

Dia de los Muertos. What a holiday full of traditions! I was certainly impressed…The holiday began a few nights before Nov 1st with children dressing up in costumes and going house to house singing a chant that they are angels that have come down from heaven and they are asking for sweets. Even the poorest children will make their own masks and participate in the tradition…Then Nov 1st was the Day of the Dead for Children or Day of the Angels. Children who have passed on are remembered and their graves are visited by their families. Nov 2nd was the Day of the Dead or All Soul’s Day where all who have passed on are remembered. Families will erect altars in the memory of their loved ones, placing not only flowers and candles but also food or things that they enjoyed in their lives (for example, if a little girl passed on they could place candy or her favorite doll on the altar).

I went to the panteon or cemetery to see what it was all about and the place was swarming with people and vendors (flowers, candles, food, toys!). There are colorful tombs of all shapes and sizes, some are small houses that may host a few family members. There are even old houses from the 1500s that resemble chapels. All are beautifully decorated with flowers. Families go visit and pray for the soul of their loved one. They even bring food and hang out for a while. Families may even request a special song for their loved one from the mariachis or other musicians that are roaming the cemetery.

I attended a special mass at the cemetery chapel at noon. It was nice to be outdoors and pray for the souls of those that have passed on. It was incredible to observe these traditions and how important this day is for Mexicans!

Scenes from Motozintla and Surrounding Areas

2006-11-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

Motozintla in the Sierra Madre of Chiapas

2006-11-03T13:34:00.000-08:00

So for most of October I was in Motozintla, Chiapas for work. This city is about 5 hours away from San Cristobal and is very close to the Guatemalan border. It is in the heart of the gorgeous Sierra Madre Mountains. While beautiful as it may be you also notice that it is very risky to live here as it is vulnerable to landslides and flooding. Last year’s Hurricane Stan greatly affected the area, people were killed and many homes were destroyed. Inhabitants who lost everything have been given new homes by the government and relocated to other municipalities. Truthfully I was scared on some of those roads, as parts had been washed out by landslides, and rocks fall blocking the way (that weren’t there the day before!)

So what was I doing here? We were conducting a market study for AlSol to determine if the MFI will open a branch in this area. We had a team of 8 researchers and I was the supervisor. The first week we received training on these MicroSave tools adapted to the Mexican context by a microfinance consulting firm, Alcance, and practiced them in Motozintla. The following week we implemented the methodology in four other municipalities. The researchers conducted numerous focus groups with the tools and many individual interviews and would enter their data into these spreadsheets. I would visit a team each day, accompany them to their appointments, clarify any questions or concerns, and spend time with them at their local internet café to help them process their information. It was a tiring week but I learned a lot and saw more of Chiapas. I am beginning to understand their reality a little better…

We found that many women are interested in microcredit and would like to work with AlSol. Some of their small businesses include small neighborhood stores or abbarotes, selling of prepared foods, clothes, fruits and vegetables. Some have comedores or informal restaurants. Another MFI who recently turned into a bank, Compartamos, is strong in the area. I’m amazed by the coverage of this MFI, they are everywhere!

The third week we finished compiling and correcting the data and Alcance joined us for an Analysis workshop, discussing our findings and making some recommendations. The final report is being presented to AlSol management and to the Board of Directors where they will make the decision as to where the branch office will be located and when operations would begin. Now that we know the methodology, in the future we can implement this market study in another area.

The streets are NOT so friendly...

2006-10-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

As you can see, San Cristobal is full of narrow streets, they were fit for horses and carriages way back when, now it’s Volkswagen buggies or scarabajos and other small compact cars. Many streets are stoned and very slippery. Although I was warned, I did manage to fall on my foot in my second week! Goes to show I have to be more careful especially when it rains…

Ferias of San Cristobal

2006-10-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

San Cristobal is divided up into neighborhoods or barrios and each one has its own church and patron saint. I was told in the old days each neighborhood was also identified by their trade, whether they were bakers, merchants or tailors. San Cristobal is always celebrating with their ferias which means there are processions, special masses, beautifully decorated churches, and lots of food and game stands. Each neighborhood takes pride and actively participates in their feria. La Merced neighborhood recently celebrated with a festive procession (check out the dancers in their costumes) and a marimba concert outside the church. I was told the Guadalupe feria in December is the biggest celebration and residents go all out so stay tuned!

Downtown San Cristobal

2006-09-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the Central Park area or Zocalo, the first is of the municipality building with its proud Mexican flag in honor of Independence Day, the second is of a park across from the Cathedral (the cross is a central meeting point for the San Cristobalenses) and the third is of the city's colorful cathedral.

Viva Mexico!

2006-09-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

September 16th is Mexican Independence Day and it's celebrated with a very festive Grito Nacional! My supervisor, Katia Corroy, invited me to go to Tuxtla with her family. We arrived in the humid city, ate some quesadillas and alambre (mix of meats and cheese) and joined the crowded park to watch comedians and other musical artists perform. Then at 11pm exactly, the Mexican flag was delivered to the state governor who then waved and shouted "Viva Mexico!" to the crowd. The Mexicans then sang their national anthem and there was an awesome fireworks display followed by an entertaining show given by Mexican artist, Ana Gabriel. What a unique voice she has! She is definetly a national symbol:)

La Casa Morada

2006-09-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

So with Diana's gracious help, I was able to find an apartment in a matter of days. I checked out a couple of options and she suggested we go to this place. As soon as I saw it, I loved it! It's an old colonial house called "La Casa Morada" and it has been divided into a few apartments surrounding a central terrace. Mine is a furnished studio with its kitchen, bedroom, living area all in one room and its private bathroom. It's plenty of space just for one person. It even has a cable TV (I can watch CNN, Telehit music videos, or some Mexican telenova!) and hot water. And it's only 15 minute walk from my office, how convenient! It's owned by a Swiss man who came to San Cristobal 30 years ago, he owns a restaurant and another hotel in town...

Exploring San Cristobal

2006-09-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

I arrived at a hostel for volunteers called Junax (http://www.seva.org/junax/index.htm). There were a few Europeans and Mexicans already staying there and they welcomed me. There are two Mexican girls doing their social service and working with a public health organization, Marie Stopes. A French girl, Sabrina, is doing research for her dissertation in anthropology on indigenous communities of Chiapas. Another couple Italians are volunteering as human rights observers and go live in the communities that are still in the conflictive zone. Others volunteer at a Research Center for Human Rights, Fray Bartolome de las Casas. It’s a neat diverse mix of people living in community, cooking together, hanging out, sharing their different experiences. I stayed there for the first few days but I knew I wanted my own space, more independence and comfort especially since I’m staying a while…

I spent the day, Sunday, exploring the town, roaming through the central park area, found where my office is located. I went to the market where I was fascinated by the sights, smells, and sounds. You can find anything your heart desires! Fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, cheese, all sorts of spices, household items, handicrafts...I met Diana Damian and her family in the afternoon, we went to lunch and to a café (Chiapas coffee is excellent and there are many organic options available!) Diana is my logistics coordinator, helping me get settled in and finding an apartment, etc. She began to tell me about the history of San Cristobal, it certainly is a magical place, attracting many to come and stay here. There are the more conservatives, those from old families, who own many establishments in San Cristobal, and don’t like the many Westerners who come here and "interfere in their affairs." Then there are those who work for the many NGOs that are present in San Cristobal who are more open and embrace change. These NGOs offer services to many indigenous communities, working in poverty alleviation, economic development, and protecting human rights. It will be interesting to learn these different perspectives as time goes on…

I completed my first week at AlSol. Everyone is warm and welcoming. The staff is young and very committed to their work. I will be working on market research for expanding their operations to more areas, as well as helping promote the institution. They are giving me a lot of responsibility which makes me happy :) This will be a great learning process for me, I’m really looking forward to it! I will be working directly with the Executive Director and the Managers of the different areas. I spent the week drafting my work plan and getting acquainted with the organization. Spending 9 + hours a day in front of a compute takes some getting used to…No more student life for me!

Bienvenido a Chiapas, Mexico!

2006-09-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

I arrived Saturday September 9th after 3 long flights and a one hour taxi ride from the airport in Tuxtla Gutierrez (the capital of Chiapas) to San Cristobal. The ride was beautiful, very picturesque, green vegetation and rolling mountains…I kept thinking "wow, I can’t believe I’m here and this will be my new home for the next ten months... "

As most of you know, I have moved to San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas to work for a mexican microfinance institution, Alternativa Solidaria or AlSol. I will be here supporting them in marketing initiatives...I'm very excited to be in the field and gain great technical experience!