Shopping & Crafts

¡Que viva El Rincón!

Portraits of a "barrio"
by
Ellen Calmus

The funds gathered through this show will be destined to El Rincón Project, for the development of the farming community of the Barrio of San Juan in Malinalco, that includes:
- Educational resource center for children
- Income generation Project for women
- Support for completion of interrupted studies
- Computer classes for young people
- Community Health Project

El Rincón Project was founded to strengthen the farming community of the Barrio of San Juan of Malinalco, to be able to better comfront change. It pretends to generate, and support proposals for the development that will enhance the life of all members of the community, and in the hope to conserve the ecological jewel that the Valley of El Rincón really is.

With the new Government of Malinalco a new sistem for garbage management will be applied. Everyone in Malinalco is aware of how critical the garbage problem can be, since our last government gave us a great example of how our town looks and feels with mountains of garbage at the end of its term. Never before, in the long history of Malinalco, had it been so visible and tangible that garbage can be a complicated and overwhelming problem. It became evident that garbage management is complicated yet so important to our community and health.

The administration of our new Municipal President, Germán Amilpa has started a new project to solve our garbage problems and make of Malinalco an example to follow for other communities of how efficient garbage management can be. It is also true that the success or failure of this project, which will only benefit Malinalco and all the people who enjoy it, needs the cooperation of ALLl who live in Malinalco. Like we did a few years ago, we will have to separate our garbage (organic, inorganic, and others), make compost, recycle, and use less plastic bags. If you want more information on how to separate your garbage, when each garbage will be collected, how to make compost and other details please click here.

For the wellbeing of all of Malinalco it is important that the effort of the entire community to solve the stray dog situation existing today in Malinalco. There are statistics that tell us that there are 5 dogs per human in Malinalco! The great majority of dogs that roam the streets of our town do have an owner but for different circumstances the dogs live, sleep, eat, take a dump and reproduce all over our streets without control. The problem has reached such a state that now savage dogs attack cows, spread disease between dogs themselves and to human beings as well. They dirty our streets, cars, and sidewalks, eat out of public trashcans and attack children and adults. For the good of us all and the good of the Malinalca Community it is necessary to take this matter seriously and this is why the community and Municipal authorities, even State Authorities are joining efforts to solve within reasonable means this problem. The campaign for rabies vaccine just happened in September 2003 and will happen every year. Towards the end of this year there will be a sterilization campaign and a census to begin solving this problem that is almost out of control. Come back to this page where we will be announcing the steps we as a community will take and how you can help as part of it, either by supporting this project or by giving your dogs the services that this efforts will provide for them to have a better and healthier life.

A Grain of Sand is jewelry and other objects made with recycled magazine paper to contribute with the recycling effort and help our envirnment. This is a response that was presented to us and is developing to eliminate magazine garbage in Malinalco, generate employment for women and youngsters with scarse resources, and create a new Malinalca craft. In addition, most of its income will go to support community projects like the ones presented on this page that survive with the generosity of many. This is our Grain of Sand so that Malinalco will be cleaner, healthier, generous, and beautiful today, and for the generations to come.
This project is in development and soon you will be able to find the products in certain establishments within Malinalco.
If you have magazines that you do not need any more, please don't throw them away! Send us an email with your address so we can go pick them up and so you can contribute your own grain of sand or give us a call. Help Malinalco become cleaner, productive and generous