While we were in Mexico this winter we were invited to the 2009 Cultural Fair, a week long event in the mountain village of Jesus Maria. This was an amazing opportunity to visit this remote village of 8,000 Cora people, high in the Sierra Leone mountains.
The Road to the Village
To get there we had to drive north-east from Puerto Vallarta for 7 hrs. We drove over a brand new twisting highway which in places, had just been cleared of recent mud and rock slides; in other places it was still under construction! The pavement ended abruptly as we descended into the valley where Jesus Maria y Jose (it’s full name) sits by the Rio San Pedro.
It was like travelling back in time. We crawled along the rough cobbled streets dodging dogs, potholes, pigs, stares, the odd truck and even 2 kids with skateboards! This was a town that had only received electrical service 2 years ago and it’s shy inhabitants observed us with curiosity and/or indifference.
Our Host
We picked our way among the rock and brick buildings, until we arrived at the adobe of our
The Evening Entertainment
gracious host ‘Maro, a returned native of Jesus Maria who was now the Head of Education and the volunteer Cultural Director for the region.
Over the next 2 days, we were treated as special guests, escorted to sites around town and honoured with front row seats for the evening festivities. These festivities celebrated the cultural heritage of Mexico and included performers from all over the country. The audience included hooting cowboys who had come from miles away, and multitudes of raggedly dressed laughing children who could not be kept from crowding the stage and adding to the entertainment. Enchilada stalls and antiquated amusement park rides gave a circus-like atmosphere to this dusty, humble little town.
Visit to the Hospital
Another highlight was a tour of the hospital, the only one in the area and one of the very few in Mexico where native traditional healing medicine and western medicine are both practiced. We were shown the garden where medicinal plants are grown and their newest Maternity building where expectant and at-risk Moms-to-be can stay for safety, treatment, delivery and health education which is so needed for healthy families.
Malnutrition, poor sanitary standards, domestic abuse and Tuberculosis are the main challenges identified by the Nurses.
When we left Jesus Maria, we felt like we were leaving old friends. Though glad to have brought needed items of clothing for the kids, blankets for the cold nights and dried milk for nutrition we also wondered if there could be a way to assist the people to help themselves. So, with ‘Maro’s help, we are currently investigating whether bringing goats or cows to the community would be a sustainable undertaking. We left with a warm invitation for a speedy return which we hope to take next year.
