In Mexico we not only had fun but we had an opportunity to help community centers and schools in the Yucatan peninsula.

During our time in Quintana Roo we visited a library, two schools, and a cultural center. On the first day that we arrived we went to a library that had pictures on the side of the building, which represented different things in the Mayan world. Upon our visit they asked us many questions about our lives in New York. They were friendly towards us and told us information about Puerto Morelos, which showed us how their lives were very different than ours. For example, one fact that they shared about Mexico was that Mexico has more libraries than any other Latin American country despite the fact that they have less people attending college. They also showed us around their library and showed us the books they currently had.

In Puerto Morales, we visited a community center and saw a dance that the center puts on. The theater director explained to us that it was hard for people on the other side of the town to get there. As a result, they are opening another library on that side of town. We were able to see the place where they had their books. It was also the same area where they stored old stuff for the play that the center had put together. The director was kind to tell us that the community center and the books in their library had helped many people in the area with their school work and resolve problems in their community.

We also visited a school in Ek Balam, where we cleaned and painted the bathroom that was the primary lavatory for the elementary school. When we were painting, kids from the school were willing to help us so we could finish quicker and play soccer with them. They really wanted to play with us and learn about New York. We went back to that school the next day to donate books. They later told us how appreciative they were that people from New York came to México to donate books and help them paint the bathroom.

The communities we visited liked what we did to help them.

-Jonathan, 2012 Learning AFAR student, Yucatan Program

A special thanks to the AFAR Foundation for their continued support of our Learning AFAR students and program.