|
|
|
Age 9 and Age 6 in 2003
America Maya School, Playa del Carmen
|
|
|
|
2004: Returned to the village in Chiapas and we have no further information on them. 2003: Jerónimo and Moisés are Chumula Indians from San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. They moved to Playa del Carmen two years ago with their mother and father. They mother works as the maid in the América Maya School and their father as a kitchen helper in a local restaurant. They had to leave their strong Indian culture and the homeland so their parents could find employment. In Playa del Carmen, they make a basic living: in Chiapas, they could expect only to make $2 dollars a day, as does their grandfather who works as a cook in San Cristobol. Their first language is Tzotzil, a Mayan dialect, and now, since beginning the America Maya Preschool in August 2003, they are learning English and Spanish. Jerónimo and Moisés joined the América Maya School in August 2003 when their mother came to work with us as a maid. Jerónimo is 9 years old and Moisés almost 6 years old. This is the first education opportunity for both of them. Already they are beginning to read and write! With these last few weeks of education, the vision of their future and that of his parent’s have changed to one of continued servitude to illiteracy to one of hope through education. Their parent’s now dream of having a teacher and a doctor in the family. |
