A Short Update on the Ligüí Internado Project

The first project for AsistED  was our ongoing program of financial assistance to students attending school outside the communities,  and to provide teachers and equipment for classes in English and computer training; vital job skills for employment in the service and tourism sectors. The second project for AsistED was to construct an Internado (room and board) so that students living in areas so remote that it is not possible for them to attend school on a daily basis can be brought together during the week for high school programs and vocational training.

In February of 2003 we held a series of meetings with the Municipality, the people from the communities, the Ejido Santo Domingo, which owns much of the land in Ligüí and Ensenada Blanca, and the heads of S.E.P. the state and federation education secretariat.  The purpose of these meetings was to define a legal basis and an agreement of assistance for the project for each of the entities.

The outcome was that the Ejido of Santo Domingo donated one hectare (2.2 acres) of land next to the junior high school (tele-secundaria, see note 1) in Ligüí on which to develop the Internado complex, and the  Municipality of Loreto agreed to have their architect prepare the plans and their engineer to help oversee construction.  The Municipality also agreed to provide heavy equipment to deliver sand and gravel and rock, clear the land, etc.  We of AsistED agreed to seek support to purchase materials and pay for the construction of the Internado.  The Secretary of Education S.E.P. promised to provide a tele-prepatoria (high school) with instruction beginning with the new school year in August.  This would be in the afternoon after the tele-secundaria lets out, using the  tele-secundaria school building in Ligüí.

Thanks to a generous grant from Linda Yip, in memory of her son, we were able to begin the initial phase of construction immediately.  Enthusiasm for the project was very high in the communities.  Then came the a major setback; the Secretary of Education ruled that Ligüí was too close to Loreto to permit  our community to have a high school apart.  We stopped work while another round of negotiations with S.E.P. ensued. 

The current solution is that we transport the students in Ligüí, Ensenada Blanca,  and the students living at the Internado to Loreto daily (about 25 miles away) by bus to attend  the Davis Ramiriz High School in the city, which added a special morning section to accommodate the rural students.  S.E.P agreed to provide a bus and the students would receive transportation allowance or becas (see note 2) to pay for the fuel and driver.

Construction resumed, but not without problems including cost overruns and other difficulties that were specific to Loreto and Mexico.  Fortunately, with additional support from the International Community Foundation, the Grace Foundation, and further support from Linda Yip the building was complete in time for the start of  the new school year.  Gifts from many private individuals, and grants by the Walton Foundation and Global Greengrants Fund helped defer the cost for teachers. (See note 3)

In August the Internado was ready to receive students.  The students staying at this dormitory are from Agua Verde, Santa Cruz, and other remote fishing communities and ranches in the municipality. In any event, this is the first Internado in Mexico for high school students.

The building is functional, the roof no longer leaks, the water system has water and the toilets flush.  The kitchen has a stove, and sink.  The Municipality has yet to deliver on the promised electricity, so we may have to scrape together  a solar system for lighting.  Meanwhile, we use a propane light in the common room, and the kids have flashlights for the dorm rooms. (See note 4)

So far most of the furnishings are loans: beds, cots and bedding from us and the hotels at Ensenada Blanca, and tables and chairs from the Corona beer distributor.  However, we hope to have some help from Loreto's two sister cities of Cerritos and Hermosa Beach in a couple of weeks with bunk beds, tables, chairs, and lockers.  We have two dozen new mattresses pledged, and they should arrive shortly. 

This term 20 students from the rural communities attend the high school.  These include 9 of 12 students living at the Internado.  These are four girls and one boy from the outer ranches at Santa Cruz,  two boys and three girls from the fishing community at  Agua Verde (one young lady from Agua Verde was accepted at the Univesidad Autonomía de Baja California Sur Extension in Loreto, but lives at the Internado and goes on the bus with the other students) and two boys from San Nicolas, a fishing community 50 km to the north of Loreto (plus three small dogs from various sources). The additional 11 students, three boys and eight girls live in Ligüí and Ensenada Blanca. The two boys from San Nicolas are attending tele-secundaria in Ligüí, the other 21 students commute daily to high school in Loreto. The dogs stay home.

Santana is our house mother and makes it all come together.  She is cook, supervises the house cleaning, makes sure the kids keep their uniforms washed, keeps the girls secure by sleeping at the doorway of their dorm, and acts as counselor and confidant for all. The Municipality pays her a salary of  3000 pesos a month (approximately $300 per month).

We still have a number of tasks to complete, including screens on the windows (done even as we speak) a ramada for shade (maybe by November) and hooking up hot water, electricity and lights, fencing, and such.  But at the moment the Internado is functioning as intended. 

The best news is the report we received from the high school.  All our rural kids are exemplary students, well behaved, more dedicated to school work and scoring better on the exams than their Loreto colleagues.  We have had confirmation of this from several other sources.

Because this is the first Internado for high school students in Mexico,  S.E.P. and Mexico City are watching to see if we succeed or fail.  The fact that our students are doing so well is a huge plus.  Next school year we will have 18 to 20 new students for high school.  Twelve to 14 of these will be from the outer areas of Agua Verde, Santa Cruz and San Javier, so the Internado will be getting up to capacity.  This also will bring the total numbers of students near the critical mass (45) where we can lobby the government for our own school and do away with the busing.  As long as the kids continue to excel, this possibility becomes nearer to a reality.

Muchísimas gracias para su ayuda, reciben un abrazo muy fuerte de Darlene, los miembros de AsistED, los 23 chamacos, Santana, y Profe. Montor por el municipio de Loreto