Un Sueño Realizado: A Dream Come True

By Susan Bean Aycock  •  Photos by Kim Groves

Dreams come in all sizes. In the newest coffee shop in Teotitán del Valle, the space may be small but the dreams behind it are huge.

“I always dreamed of having a café,” says Teresa Lopez Montaño, 31, who co-owns Dalízùn (“our house” in Zapotec) with her husband Manuel. “But there was no money. I just never thought it would be possible.”

Enter Fundación En Vía. As one of the program’s first borrowers nearly four years ago, Teresa (Tere to her friends and family) received four successively larger loans to grow the family weaving business. Wanting to set herself apart from other vendors who sold virtually the same products, she began buying diversified inventory on trips to visit her father in San Miguel de Allende.

Then came the leap of faith to realize her long-time dream open a café – and two more En Vía loans to help make that a reality.

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Like nearly three quarters of the 6,000 or so people who live in Teotitlán, Tere became a weaver by virtue of being born into a family of weavers. So was her husband, whose family owns the house where four generations of artisans live and work – and which now features a coffee shop up front.

In this Zapotec town, weaving has been the town’s primary business since well before the Spanish came with their large treadle looms that quickly replaced the inhabitants’ traditional backstrap looms. Children here begin weaving at an early age, learning the ins and outs of fiber, dye and complicated patterns at the feet of their parents and grandparents.

Weaving often is the sole means of family support – but in this town of tremendous competition for the business of few tourists, it’s becoming harder and harder to do. “Teresa had the vision of creating income that wasn’t dependent on weaving,” says Samantha Wattson, En Vía Program Director. “It’s a saturated market, and she thought of offering a comfortable place to have a coffee or sandwich – with the rug gallery on the other side of the shop.”

Even with En Vía loans to carve out and paint part of the family home to create the café, it hasn’t been easy to open a new business. Said Tere on grand opening day April 18, bustling to make coffee in her yellow plaid apron, “We’ve learned by making mistakes. I even used my own dishes at first before I realized we’d have to buy coffee cups and things just for the café.

“And the coffeemaker, that’s a whole other story. We bought a regular home coffeemaker but it just wasn’t made for use all day, and it burned up the first week we were open.

People were already coming in for business, though, and we thought, ‘We can’t close already; we’ve just opened!’ But we also didn’t know how we would buy a new one. In the end, we arranged a family loan to buy an industrial coffeemaker”.

Tere’s dedication to her dream and persistence to make it work, despite setbacks such as the coffeemaker, have earned her admiration from both the community and from En Vía. “Teresa has done an excellent job transitioning from weaving to opening a café,” says En Vía founder and Executive Director Carlos Hernandez Topete.

“She has really raised the bar for the other women in the program, and her branching out will help encourage them to do other things too,” he says. “It’s surprised the local community a bit that customers are not just tourists passing through, but locals as well.”

Indeed. In this town which has no movie theatre, shopping mall or night club (or bank or fabric store for that matter), there’s now a place to relax with a friend or date. A cup of coffee at Dalízùn costs 17 pesos (about $1.40), a cappuccino 22 pesos (about $1.75) and a fruit frappé of lime, cucumber and crushed ice is made one at a time in a blender. Tere also serves up tortas (sandwiches) of cheese, spicy pork, sausage or turkey ham, as well as Oaxacan favourites, tlayudas and quesadillas.

Juggling finances is a constant concern as the family struggles to keep the new business going – and most supplies are available only in Oaxaca City, an hour bus ride away. Tere’s husband, Manuel, weaves in the family business, works part-time as a taxi driver and occasionally gets to indulge in his passion of playing percussion with a local band.

“We have many worries about money,” says Tere, who someday would like to expand the family besides their one son Manuel, 4, but wants to wait until income is a little more stable. “Still, being able to have this cafe is a dream come true.”

Today, Dalízùn has two tables. Tomorrow? It may still have only two tables. But then, dreams come in all sizes. After all, even Starbucks started somewhere.*

* The first Starbucks was opened in 1971 to sell coffee beans in Seattle’s Pike Place Market by two teachers and a writer. Later bought out by an entrepreneur who wanted to offer a European-style café experience to Americans, it is the largest coffee house company in the world, with nearly 20,000 stores in 58 countries.

Semana Santa: Silence and Celebration in Oaxaca.

By Kim Groves

I always enjoy being in Oaxaca during times of holiday, and Semana Santa was no exception. The week of Easter is one of the most important on the Mexican calendar, and Oaxaca is one of the most special places to experience it.

On Good Friday, it seemed that the entire population of the town and more was in the plaza and streets surrounding Santo Domingo church. I joined them, expecting a parade. And sure enough, a group of women and men began walking purposely towards us. They braced heavy satin banners against their bodies; the colours were of rich reds and greens and embroidered with gold.

Gilded altars, depicting Jesus in the moments of crucifixion, swayed on the shoulders of persons cloaked in billowing purple, yellow and white.

Behind them, young people walked with their hands held solemnly behind their backs, without exchanging a single look.

I was fascinated, and altogether surprised. But why? There is a gathering in the street here just about every other day. Banners and flags and costumes are nothing new. So what was so different about this particular event? It was the silence.

There was no music; not a single tuba or guitar to be found. There was no singing or raised voices, nor a drop of mescal in miles. There was hardly a footfall heard as the procession passed, barefooted on the road. The crowd was silent too, except for the click of cameras and the soft shuffle of bodies trying to find a better place to see.

The covered faces startled me at first. I wondered what they were thinking and feeling as they walked by, mute, and almost blind. For a moment, a man carrying a large wooden cross stopped to rest close to me. His eyes did not meet mine or anyone else’s. I could hear the slight movement of his purple cloak falling against his skin, and see the detail of the face of Christ tattooed onto his chest.

When he began walking, I was startled by the sudden thunder produced by his and another dozen wooden crosses being dragged over cobblestone. It rattled in me, that noise, even after it had passed.

That was Friday. Sunday of course took on a very different tone...

 

On Easter Sunday, in the evening, I ran into some friends hanging about on the corner. I saw some neighbours sitting on the steps. Families were blowing soap bubbles. Lovers were leaning against walls. Little kids were playing a great game that involved darting about between everyone’s legs.

I love rubbing shoulders with the people of this town on days like this. Everyone is welcome, whether you were born here or have just stepped into the street for your first stroll and discovery.

People carried great sprigs of rosemary tied with string as well as small white cotton flags. I leaned out intentionally into the path and some of the fresh herbs tickled my nose as they passed.

Rosemary is sacred to the Virgin Mary. They say she once draped her blue coat over a rosemary bush to save it from getting dirty on the ground, and ever since then, the flower has been a shade of bluish white. It has long been an herb of remembrance, and on this day, the people were remembering something very important.

All day Sunday, starting at 6 in the morning, I had heard a steady battery of rockets coming from the church. Now, standing in the plaza looking up, I could see the sudden shadows of the men on the highest ledge as they leapt back from the light and sound.

The tubas and guitars arrived then, and they delivered song after booming song. As if in response, plastic cups were thrown into the crowd from the back of someone’s pick-up truck to be assumedly filled with mescal or some other celebratory drink.

 The street turned a different colour as the fireworks ran and raged over the castillo structure. I took a moment to relish the sensations. My chest was reverberating with every bang and spark. The acrid sweet smell of the burning powder, admittedly one of my favourites, was in my hair and on my clothes.

At the pinnacle of the structure the words burned red, white and green.

VIVA LA RESURRECCION DE CRISTO.

There was not a single person that was silent then, I assure you.  

Though I preferred the lights, music and the loud rejoicing of the people on that Easter night, I also appreciated the time spent on Good Friday in quiet thought and reflection. They were two different parts of the same remembrance and reverence, and no matter your belief or conviction, everybody was welcome to participate and celebrate in the gift of spring and new life. 

The English Program Arrives in Tlacochahuaya!

By Louise Branch

I came on board volunteering for En Via in January 2012 with the task of coordinating the already very successful and popular English classes in the town of Teotitlan del Valle. Thanks to an incredible group of volunteers these classes have been going strong in En Via's flagship pueblo for over two years and enjoy the attendance of an extraordinarily dedicated and hardworking student body.

From six-year-olds who already know how to say the name of every animal in the zoo, to busy weavers who always find time to come to class, week in and week out, our classes are open to all members of the community. The classes are just one part of En Via’s education initiative, which aims to support the development of our borrowers enterprises and skills. Along with our business courses and computing and Internet classes we aim to give the women we work with the tools they need to create their own success.

For the children of the community we offer a general English program, hoping to give them an introduction and opportunity to learn the language. Adult students, on the other hand, are involved in a program that is focused on sales and marketing. There is a strong reference to language related to the town’s key artisanal craft of weaving wool products, as well as other industries and trades relevant to the student.

 

So, with the classes in Teotitlan going strong, and the microfinance program moving out into new pastures, it was time for the English Program to also stretch out its wings and start a new program in Tlacochahuaya. Tlacochahuaya is a beautiful pueblo on the way out to Teotitlan. Like Teotitlan it has an incredibly strong sense of community, but it is also very different. The town is less focused on artisanal crafts and tourism, and more on agriculture. In fact, it is famous for its garlic production. This gives Tlacochahuaya a very different atmosphere, and also different needs within the education program. With this new town, we have the opportunity to try out new things and develop a new curriculum with a different focus. This could be a real but worthwhile challenge!

En Via staff had been planning for the classes with the town's municipal authorities for many weeks before they began. Posters had been put up in the town's buses and locals Jose Luis and Maria Luisa, had personally told many people in the community about the opportunity.  They have been a great support to the project, taking care of the logistics and arrangements for use of the room, and I would like to say a big thank you to them and their son David.

 

 

Samantha and I went out on the first day to test the waters, not expecting any students to turn up and were a little shocked to receive 10 students for the very first class! This was a really impressive turnout, and we spent the class doing assessments and playing a few simple games with students.

Very much encouraged by this fantastic start, I went out with two more volunteers for the next session where the class had grown again despite the fact that it was the day of an important pueblo calenda. With Maria teaching the kids class and Alana taking assessments, we had a good team going. The next week was slightly more challenging, but mainly for Maria who received a huge intake of children at a beginner's level. But being a creative and very flexible worker, she powered through and has run some fun and productive classes!

Outside of our classroom we have had the chance to see (and definitely to HEAR) a beautiful Semana Santa calenda with a procession of women carrying baskets of multi-colored flowers above their heads, followed by an inter-pueblo brass band competition in the adjacent building the following week. Asking the students about these traditions have made good English conversation topics and have introduced a lot of new vocabulary, whilst also (very selfishly!) satisfying my curiosity...

So far the students in Tlacochahuaya have been every bit as dedicated as those in Teotitlan, and their community supportive and welcoming. We look forward to a great relationship and to learning lots about each other! 

Photos by Kim Groves

The English Program Arrives in Tlacochahuaya!

By Louise Branch

I came on board volunteering for En Via in January 2012 with the task of coordinating the already very successful and popular English classes in the town of Teotitlan del Valle. Thanks to an incredible group of volunteers these classes have been going strong in En Via's flagship pueblo for over two years and enjoy the attendance of an extraordinarily dedicated and hardworking student body.

From six-year-olds who already know how to say the name of every animal in the zoo, to busy weavers who always find time to come to class, week in and week out, our classes are open to all members of the community. The classes are just one part of En Via’s education initiative, which aims to support the development of our borrowers enterprises and skills. Along with our business courses and computing and Internet classes we aim to give the women we work with the tools they need to create their own success.

For the children of the community we offer a general English program, hoping to give them an introduction and opportunity to learn the language. Adult students, on the other hand, are involved in a program that is focused on sales and marketing. There is a strong reference to language related to the town’s key artisanal craft of weaving wool products, as well as other industries and trades relevant to the student.

So, with the classes in Teotitlan going strong, and the microfinance program moving out into new pastures, it was time for the English Program to also stretch out its wings and start a new program in Tlacochahuaya. Tlacochahuaya is a beautiful pueblo on the way out to Teotitlan. Like Teotitlan it has an incredibly strong sense of community, but it is also very different. The town is less focused on artisanal crafts and tourism, and more on agriculture. In fact, it is famous for its garlic production. This gives Tlacochahuaya a very different atmosphere, and also different needs within the education program. With this new town, we have the opportunity to try out new things and develop a new curriculum with a different focus. This could be a real but worthwhile challenge!

En Via staff had been planning for the classes with the town's municipal authorities for many weeks before they began. Posters had been put up in the town's buses and locals Jose Luis and Maria Luisa, had personally told many people in the community about the opportunity.  They have been a great support to the project, taking care of the logistics and arrangements for use of the room, and I would like to say a big thank you to them and their son David.

Samantha and I went out on the first day to test the waters, not expecting any students to turn up and were a little shocked to receive 10 students for the very first class! This was a really impressive turnout, and we spent the class doing assessments and playing a few simple games with students.

Very much encouraged by this fantastic start, I went out with two more volunteers for the next session where the class had grown again despite the fact that it was the day of an important pueblo calenda. With Maria teaching the kids class and Alana taking assessments, we had a good team going. The next week was slightly more challenging, but mainly for Maria who received a huge intake of children at a beginner's level. But being a creative and very flexible worker, she powered through and has run some fun and productive classes!

Outside of our classroom we have had the chance to see (and definitely to HEAR) a beautiful Semana Santa calenda with a procession of women carrying baskets of multi-colored flowers above their heads, followed by an inter-pueblo brass band competition in the adjacent building the following week. Asking the students about these traditions have made good English conversation topics and have introduced a lot of new vocabulary, whilst also (very selfishly!) satisfying my curiosity...

So far the students in Tlacochahuaya have been every bit as dedicated as those in Teotitlan, and their community supportive and welcoming. We look forward to a great relationship and to learning lots about each other! 

Photos by Kim Groves