by Stu Dearnly​

​As a new member of SMA Midday Rotary, I was excited to join the club for a morning of painting cisterns. Rainwater Harvesting is one of the club’s flagship programs. Like all Rotary projects, this one was born of necessity. Small villages’ aquifers are often contaminated with fluoride and arsenic. This can lead to cancers, dental catastrophes, and up to a 20% reduction in I.Q. among children who grow up drinking it. Cisterns are our club’s solution. A cistern is a 12,000-liter concrete jug that gathers enough rainwater from nearby rooftops to provide a family of four with water for the year. I’m new to both San Miguel de Allende and to Mexico. Anything cistern-related is miles away from what I’ve seen elsewhere. Game on!

After paved roads turned to less paved roads, we were instructed by a group of women to park alongside some tethered horses. We divided up into three groups with equal parts Rotarians and local mothers. The only men in attendance were Rotarians. Women run this show. We were there to paint the cisterns they’d built with their own hands. Cisterns that keep their children safer and that—with maintenance such as that we would soon perform—should last for generations.

The projected began in 1997 with a multi-week training for this community and others around SMA. They first learn about water safety and health statistics, then how to build and maintain their family’s cistern. Mothers invest 250+ hours apiece, and their pride in the accomplishment comes through in the joy they take maintaining them. We started by scrubbing the cisterns with a wire brush, which is easy on some and difficult on others. We had a team of six, and everyone but me knew exactly what to do without guidance of any sort. There was zero energy wasted, and it was remarkable to be focused on one piece of a giant drum and hear someone say “Está terminando.”

Then we’d put our paint rollers over our shoulders and troop off through a few atajos (shortcuts) to the next cistern. We moved between cisterns quickly with everyone smiling all the while and chatting in whatever language they preferred.

​Then the feasting began.

There must have been twenty dishes to choose between and five types of juice I’d never tried before. Everything was homemade. It feels like we ate for hours, yet it wasn’t until I got home that I took time to reflect on how mutually beneficial this relationship is.  For example, the club’s Ninas Sabias (please hyperlink) initiative was born of insights gleaned through our cistern program. Equally importantly, these women now know exactly how capable they are. They’re happy to work together for the collective good, which is exactly what Rotary’s all about.
​
Helping families help themselves is a beautiful thing to be a part of, and they take every opportunity to tell you how thrilled they are that we’re with them on this journey. There are fifty-seven communities like this one, and San Miguel’s Rotary clubs are committed to continuing the water harvesting program for as long as mothers continue wanting our support. I will jump at the next opportunity to paint cisterns, and I cordially invite you to join me there!

by Robin Loving

​​Voice of San Miguel Cesar Valderrama sang in celebration of 70 Rotarians and friends who attended a sold-out fundraising luncheon at La Mansion at Montitlan in November to support Rotary’s joint project with Apoyo a Gente Emprededora’s micro-lending program. Rotary resources will enable the expansion of micro-finance in San Miguel de Allende to help raise more families out of poverty.
 
“We raised over $8,000 USD for this program that educates and loans an average of $250 USD per person to those who want to elevate themselves out of extremely disadvantaged positions via business enterprise,” said Midday Rotary President Lee Carter. “This was our most lucrative fundraiser in history,” he continued.
 
“As a recipient of an Apoyo micro-loan, I received $5,000 pesos with which I bought merchandise to sell to support my family. Thank you for having faith in us,” said Rosalinda Granados, an Apoyo loan recipient.
 
“At Apoyo we continue to help the most disadvantaged people break the cycle of poverty by educating them about business and finance to promote sustainable economic development.  Last year we expanded a training center for a trade school. We believe the success of our model will be replicated in other areas of Mexico,” said Apoyo Founder and Director General Ezequiel Mojica.
 
“I am thrilled with the support shown for this project by all in attendance an. The funds raised will enable us to truly take a giant leap forward in helping more San Miguel families bootstrap themselves out of poverty,” said Rotary Micro-Lending Project Chairman Norman Feldstein.
 
Sponsors  included Penzi Weddings,Ron and Linda Felton, Ron Lenox. Additional funds were raised via a raffle of prizes generously donated by Bovine Restaurant, Esencia Spa, Follow Me Tours, Galeria Atotonilco, the Mansion at Montitlan, Nest Property Management, Maggie Sperling, and Dorothy Wallstein. 

By Frederika Zystra

This beautiful quilt, valued at $20,000.00 pesos, was handmade by San Miguel de Allende Quilters, a group of thirteen women from many countries who hope to inspire and empower young women on the threshold of adulthood. Over the years, they have created dozens of beautiful quilts for deserving charities. It was professionally padded by Maribel Trejo and would be exquisite as a bed quilt or to hang on the wall. What a beautiful Christmas gift for someone special!

The duvet, titled '¡Viva San Miguel!', will be displayed at Geek & Coffee for at least 10 days prior to the selection of the winner. Raffle tickets can be purchased in person at Geek & Coffee, through SMA Quilters and Rotary Midday of SMA members.

About Wise Girls SMA:
Eight out of ten girls experience a loss of self-esteem when they reach puberty. In this culture, menstruation is often considered dirty and something that needs to be hidden. Because of this, many miss several days of school each month; in total almost 25 percent of the school year. Often, they are hopelessly backward and drop out of school altogether. Because they do not fully understand the changes in their developing bodies, many become pregnant too young and repeat the cycle.

Wise Girls provides education, opportunities, mentoring, and solutions for these young women, so that they instead celebrate and accept the miracle of becoming a woman. From practical matters such as managing their period, to promoting their confidence and dignity, they learn through biology classes, spiritual exercises, and culturally appropriate rituals to embrace their power, get to know their bodies, and develop self-confidence.

Many return as teachers in the program to give back while earning a salary. The Ministry of Public Education supports these teachers, providing them with credentials to affirm their contribution.

These young women represent a beautiful cultural history with an impressive work ethic. They will be our future leaders, teachers, entrepreneurs and community activists. Our goal is for them to carry the torch and passion of Mexican culture with pride and self-confidence. Help us support this necessary and invaluable program in San Miguel by purchasing raffle tickets!

Our theme for this quilt is EMPOWERMENT

The red centers symbolize love, first for oneself; life – celebrating our lives, bodies and spirit; and empowerment – to achieve our goals with pride and self-confidence. The 48 blocks are colorful and artistic, each as individual as the girls, and represent self-expression, joy, freedom and creativity. Padding is gold, which means wisdom, wealth and magic. Threads that connect all women young and old in the sacred sisterhood.
Thirteen women. Twenty-six hands.
​
Hours of love in every stitch in support of young women living in San Miguel de Allende on their way to adulthood.

by Waylon Hedegaard (The Fat Bastard Walking Tours)

​Last night, Renee and I had both the privilege and pleasure of attending the graduation celebration of the first class of the maestras for Wise Girls SMA/Niñas Sabias, sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Miguel-Midday. There were wine and margaritas and delicious food all set in a stunning private garden with a lot of good people.
It was a wonderful affair, perfect in every detail.

But… for all the beauty, great food and drink and conversation, I would have also enjoyed myself nearly as much celebrating this in an open field in the hot sun. Why? Because the real draw last night was not the party, it was the women who had just spent the last week training and who were so excited to teach girls on the cusp of womanhood about their bodies, its cycles and the wonders of menstruation.

As an aside Renee Ewine and I would love to congratulate our good friend and daughter in spirit Wendy Miroslava Aguilar Antonio for graduating the training. You'll do well here amiga!

In our darkening world, it is easy to fall into the hopelessness of belief that we can’t save the world, but that is a tragically flawed view. Maybe we can’t save it all at once. But last night was a demonstration on how we can all help to save it one young girl at a time. I have never seen a program with a greater opportunity to change the course of young women lives with so few resources.

It was amazing.

Excitement and understanding of menstruation is not the standard here or anywhere in the world. Young women often grow up ashamed of their natural cycles, thinking it is dirty or contaminated, thinking it is something to hide. Plus, they often don’t have resources to deal with this natural issue.  Sanitary napkins and tampons are much harder to get in the villages. Too often these girls miss school and other activities, embarrassed by the wonder of what their bodies are doing, and not juts a few day. Those missed days of school easily add up to a month or more.

That’s the equivalent of a serious illness. Every! Single! Year!

That is a disaster for everyone, the girl herself, the future woman she will become and the career she will follow, the family she may choose to raise. Society as a whole suffers greatly from this.

As a white man, I had no idea, and I am embarrassed of my lack of understanding.

No one should ever be ashamed of who they are!

The Lumineers sing a song called “Donna”, and it contains a single line that breaks my heart. “You told your daughter she was ordinary.” It may seem slight, but the mere thought devastates me. No daughter of any background, anywhere, should ever be made to feel ordinary or be ashamed.

They need to be shown how to feel extraordinary!

The entire point of Wise Girls SMA/Niñas Sabias is to educate these future young woman in their bodies and to take pride in them and their abilities. By stripping away the misinformation and shame the have hung over menstruation for generations and teaching pride in the incredible things happening, they can take a young girl and help her climb to a path in life she would not have reached otherwise. By giving them reusable menstrual kits, these future women will have the tools necessary to stay on these paths.

All for remarkably little money. $50 US can raise a child up so that they stay up.

Who doesn’t have $50 to help save a girl?
 
Here is their Facebook Page Wise Girls SMA - Niñas Sabias
...
Those wishing to help an extraordinary organization please donate here. It so easy. (Select Wise Girls SMA from the drop down menu.  Rotary SMA Midday
 
...
Tell them the Goddess and her Fat Bastard sent you.
https://linktr.ee/wisegirlssma...
...
The Rotary Club is the fiscal agent. Just choose the Wise Girls Empowerment project.Please contact us with any questions or more information.

rotarysanmiguelmidday@gmail.com

​Eleuteria Tapia - Sewing workshop

­"Doña Ele" lives in a low-income neighborhood called "Adolof, Lopez Mateos" one of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the city of San Miguel de Allende. Doña Ele got a loan in the amount of 5000 pesos to buy fabric and other materials to produce and repair clothing.

May 20 has been designated as World Bee Day by the United Nations
 
The Midday Rotary Club of SMA is organizing seven families in three communities to form three beekeeping cooperatives. The project includes training, transportation, and equipment. Rotary Midday is paying for all soft costs training, education, inspections, project monitoring, and transportation. You can support this and our other projects in the community by donating on the link on our webpage.
 
Beekeeping is a very important and valuable activity for rural communities. It is a way of being able to give families an  opportunity to change their lives in various aspects, such as their diet, their health, the union between the participants, soil conservation, reforestation, and protection of the territory.
 
At the same time, when they satisfy their food needs with honey and its derivatives, they have the opportunity to sell the surplus, through which an extra income is generated in the family.
 
Since 2014 CEDESA (Centro de Desarrollo Agropecuario) began promoting beekeeping in COCIRA communities, where working groups have been joining this process.
 
CEDESA and the Association of Beekeepers of Northern Guanajuato began to accompany these groups with technical training and organization workshops; through micro-region meetings where new groups that are interested in working with beekeeping have been joining.
 
Bees are very valuable to humanity, Albert Einstein said: "If the bees disappear, man would have 4 years left on Earth."