#compostero

A few post-university adults of the community of Zapotitlán had already formed a civil organization called PREZAC (Patronato de la Reserva Ecológica de Zapotitlán-Salinas - Associación Civil). The director of environment of the town council (Fidel Carrillo Pacheco) wants to start an “Eco-club” group to stimulate environmental consciousness among the people, and to eventually begin helping with the city-wide composting program, so he recruited the people from PREZAC to join, because they had not yet engaged in any community projects. In true Mexican fashion, we had decided on meeting at 15.00 but nobody showed up until I called them. We decided that meeting during comida was a bad idea so we rescheduled for 18.00. We began in Fidel’s under-construction rental home at 18.45. 

We had a meeting that outlined to plan for the city-wide composting program, and discussed how it would involve the youth of the community to help them develop professional skills like public speaking and management. We laid out a our 3 tiered long term plan, which is lofty but alcanzable. I had them do an activity that highlighted our personal strengths, talents, abilities, as well as our connections and interpersonal networks both locally and nationally to show that we are more than capable of carrying this all out. 

Joaquin commented at the end that the group didn’t seem very enthused. However, Fidel looked accomplished, and Gladys mentioned that she was glad they had finally held their first PREZAC meeting. It’s a start, she said. We decided to meet every week and to spend the summer learning and preparing for the coming school year which begins at the end of August.