Mexico
Reports from visits on-site
We, that means Minks Sandra Lesley (28) and Minks Toni (30) from Schwäbisch Gmünd, are active for Primavera for many years. Since the first day we had the wish to visit a Project of Primavera. Now, we will tell you about our experience.
Our trip to Primavera began in March 2019. We flew to mexico for our honeymoon and combined this vacation with a visit at two Primavera projects. The School “Vini Cubi” and the nursery school “Mi Castillito”.
At first, we want to tell you something about our planning of the visit: We got the contact of Giovanna, a very lovely staff of Bosch from Mexico City (Foundation Director). Our contact starts many months before our trip to mexico. We only told her two things: What we want to visit (school and a nursery school) and the dates, which are possible for our visit. All the other things, which were to do does Giovanna by her own. She sent us an agenda and organized the transfer for us. She was in contact with the responsible persons of the Primavera facilities the whole time.
It finally happened on March 25: We met Galicia Rivera Giovanna Gabriela in the morning directly at the school “Vini Cubi” in Mexico. We became a very warm welcome from her and a staff of the school. They gave us a tour to each classroom. The staff of the school told us many things about the school and Galicia Rivera Giovanna Gabriela translated this in English for us. Primavera has repaired the roof and installed the lights at the whole school including classrooms. Additionally, it took place adequacy for an appropriate storage room. We got a very warm welcome in each class. The teacher and students presented us their learning success full of pride. The contact between the teacher and the students is very warm-hearted and fondly. The classes are not comparison to the german school classes; you can better describe them as a big family. The children are very curious, willing to learn and open. The schoolmaster was coming at the end of our visit, and told us a lot about the school and answered our questions. She is very happy and thankful about primavera and our visit. At the end we took a picture with Galicia Rivera Giovanna Gabriela, the schoolmaster, some kids and their parents.
Me gusta mi escuela - Visit report
My name is Marcello Miccoli and I am 34 years old. I had my first contact with Primavera in 2012, during my assignment in Mexico. At that time I became aware of the project "mi gusta mi escuela" (I like my school) at Primavera through my Mexican colleagues, since then I follow and support projects, especially in Mexico. Still today I have good contact with my colleagues on site and took a private trip in December 2016 as an opportunity to visit two schools in Mexico.
On the 6th of December for St. Claus Day, I visited the school CAM 4 Maria Montessori in Toluca. I had the contact to the school from a former colleague from Mexico, who has been working with this school for many years. The school teaches children who suffer from diseases or disabilities, such as Down syndrome, hyperactivity, epilepsy, autism, etc. All these children come from disadvantaged backgrounds and many of them have to take expensive medication for the rest of their lives. In the school, the children have the opportunity to learn helpful things in addition to their normal lessons in order to cope with their everyday life more easily. I used the day to take a look at the individual classes. The director of the school took the time to introduce me to each class and answered my questions about the children and the lessons, but I also had the opportunity to get to know the children. The most interesting thing for the children was that someone had come especially from Germany to meet them.
The interaction between teachers and students is really very loving and respectful, I think especially the work with disabled children requires a lot of heart and soul.
Here I have to give a big praise to the teachers, who really do a great job!
On two other days I visited the Vini cubi school in Cuajimalpa in Mexico City. The school is located about 20 minutes by car from the Bosch location in Santa Fe in Mexico City. In this school there are classes in two "shifts", in the morning and in the afternoon. Here, the pilot project was initiated by Bosch associates, in which associates take over teaching and individual courses in the schools. In this way, associates make an important contribution to the upbringing, education, and thus the future of the children.
The Bosch associates go to the school after work, this means in their free time, and currently give math lessons (other subjects and courses, such as Spanish, are to follow).
The lessons are prepared by the associates and then held at the school. The lessons can be given individually, but mostly in a playful way.
I had the chance to assist in all four classes on the first day to get a first impression about the project, but also about the requirements. On the second day, I prepared my own lessons. For me it was a premiere that I was allowed to give math lessons, in addition to that also in Spanish. But in the end it was a great experience for the children and for me, because it was especially interesting for the children to have someone from Germany as a teacher and for me to be able to teach a group of children in Spanish.
It is a great project that the colleagues in Mexico are currently setting up and the personal commitment is particularly important in this project, as the colleagues here sacrifice their free time in order to be able to offer the children a better future.
Here, too, I would like to praise the Mexican colleagues who are in charge of this project on a daily basis.
For me personally it was a great experience to have the chance to get to know the children, but also a good feeling to know that Primavera puts investments in good hands, or projects. I plan to visit individual projects, schools, etc. on my next trips to Mexico and to use the opportunity to contribute my part to the welfare of the children! From my current experience I can say that even small gestures, especially with children who come from poorer backgrounds, can have a big impact.