Chiapas, Mexico
SYJAC (“Service to Our People” in Tsotsil Mayan) and the IHF work together to improve health and living conditions in Mayan neighborhoods surrounding San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. Though Chiapas is rich in natural resources, its people suffer the worst poverty and malnutrition in Mexico. San Cristobal was at the center of the Zapatista uprising in 1994, and military action and political turmoil have left many displaced. Since 1993, SYJAC has been working to transform communities through educational and practical resources. The IHF has supported SYJAC since 2007, and over the past year SYJAC has begun a partnership with the Brown Chapter of the IHF.
SYJAC runs a community development program, an early childhood and parenting program, an adult literacy program, and a popular education program with classes on subjects such as nutrition, financial planning, community organizing, and leadership training. It also meets community needs by providing rainwater capturing systems and ecologically friendly lavatories. SYJAC’s programs enable residents to increase their awareness of their own culture, community, and environment.
How to Help
See what an impact your donation can have in the IHF 2008 Catalog.
