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Eco-Amaranth Program Director, Alfredo Bernabe Santiago is from Papantla, Veracruz, Mexico. He is an agronomist, graduated from the Universidad Autonoma Chapingo and completed a degree in Tropical Agricultural Development from the CNEARC Montpellier, France. He has 12 years of experience promoting rural development processes collaborating with national and international NGOs and has also spent some time working in research and teaching. Convinced of the need to generate comprehensive community development, Alfredo’s professional interest lies in the adoption of rural innovation and the promotion of participatory processes, including research, experimentation, planning and evaluation by farmers. He is interested in food sovereignty and security, conservation farming and facilitating community processes. Alfredo’s passions include working directly with farmers in their communities, as well as rural photography and ecological food production. He joined Puente in January 2011.
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Director of Grants and Communications, Susannah Rigg was born and raised in London, England. She has a B.A in Religious Studies at Leeds University and a Masters in Religion and Spirituality at Lancaster University. In between the two degrees she spent ten months travelling in Latin America, when she first visited Mexico. Her work in the NGO sector in London at the National Council of Voluntary Organizations and Save the Children UK motivated her to gain field experience with the Oaxacan NGO Sikanda in early 2010. Returning to London she took on various other non-profit fundraising consultancy roles. She returned to Oaxaca in early 2011, in the role of Project Coordinator at ProWorld Mexico working closely with over twenty different non-profit organizations, including Puente. Her experience has given her profound knowledge and understanding of the non-profit sector in Mexico.
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Gerado Iliel López Hernández, Community Promoter, Valle de Etla Region. Gerardo is 23 years old. He is studying Biology at the ITVO (Instituto Tecnológico del Valle de Oaxaca) and is doing his thesis on natology due to the potential impact that it could have in imive species of corn. He has a strong passion for Biology, in particular for agro-ecproving the diet of his community and its environment. He plans on promoting Puente’s programs by encouraging solidarity between different individuals and farmers groups withing the Mazaltapec area. Gerardo looks forward to playing an active part in the development of his community and the surrounding sub-region. |
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Community Promoter with the Healthy Families Program, Vladimir Roshdestvensky Cortes was born in Mexico City to Mexican and Russian parents. Vladimir studied International Relations at the UNAM ( The Autonomous National University of Mexicco) and has extensive experience in research, analysis, implementation and evaluation of social, environmental and educational projects. He has worked in Research Centers, Institutions of Higher Education and Civil Society Organizations. Vladimir has been working in Oaxaca Since January 2008, collaborating in projects that promote the education of children and young people. He has also worked in the arts, working as a photographer in exhibitions in Mexico and Russia, and also as a writer for the journal “Lenguaraz y Ráfagas en Trementina.”
Send an email to Vladimir
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Healthy Families Promoter Zaira De La Rosa Jimenéz is from Mexico City but has worked for five years in rural communities. She began her community work with the organization Enlaces Rural, where she volunteered with agriculture projects in Hidalgo, Oaxaca, and Guerrero, Mexico. After that experience, Zaira began working with Un Kilo de Ayuda to prevent and combat malnutrition among children and pregnant women. Prior to working with rural populations, Zaira was a teacher and trainer with the education board, el Consejo Nacional de Fomento Educativo. She began working with Puente in March 2008.
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Operations and Accounting Assistant, Sandra Gisela García Cruz, is originally from Oaxaca, where she studied Business Administration at The Institute of Technology. For 9 years Sandra worked at the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, as information analyst, organizational manager, manager of personal loans and regional training coordinator. Later Sandra joined the non-profit sector as Assistant to the Director of Synergy for Integral Sustainable Development and was there for almost 4 years. She coordinated the program for young professionals and was also responsible for the logistics and administration of all activities and events. Sandra joined Puente in April 2009.
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Virginia Gallardo,Community Promoter in the Mixe Region. Virginia is a community midwife and also practices traditional and herbal medicine in the Mixe community of Sta Maria Tlauhuitoltepec. Virginia participated in a three year midwifery training by the not-for-profit organization, Nueve Lunas, which works to promote the humanization of birth, recognizing the important contributions of indigenous midwifery practice. She has a three year old daughter. Virginia currently works with women of reproductive age and pregnant women and has an office located in the community. She began working with Puente in 2010, specializing in the area of nutrition. |
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Local Agricultural Technician, Feliciano Vásquez Martínez, is from Rancho Tejas, a small community located in the mountainous Mixe region of Oaxaca. Feliciano is a farmer and produces corn, beans, potatoes, and a few other vegetables for personal consumption. In addition to his personal crops, Feliciano and a group of friends have formed a cooperative called “Fecha de las Nubes” which produces organic tomatoes, organic honey, and amaranth. He has held several posts in his community which include managing a local store, secretary of the Parents Association, and representative of Community Well-Being. He also worked with the government agency CONAFE for one year. Feliciano began working with Puente in January of 2008.
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Amaranth Agronomist Uriel Baeza Nahed was born in the Isthmus region of Oaxaca. Uriel graduated from the with his Agricultural Engineering degree with a specialty in Tropical Climates. In January 2008, he completed his Master’s degree in Natural Resource Conservation from the National Polytech Institute. Uriel has worked with various non-profit organizations and groups of indigenous farmers in the states of Puebla, Oaxaca, and Veracruz. His focus has been on organic production and the capacity building of local agriculture technicians. He has also conducted a research study focusing on natural ways to control pests and insects. Uriel joined the Puente team in January of 2008.
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Mayra Lizbeth Rojas Lopez, Community Promoter in the Valle de Etla Region. Mayra is a trained early childhood educator from Mazaltepec. She has two young girls, Wendy who is five and Maydelin who is three. She and her youngest daughter, were active participants in the Healthy Children Amaranth Nutrition Intervention in 2010. Mayra's dedication and capacity to motivate her peers became so evident that she was appointed Community Promoter in January 2011. Mayra says, “I joined Puente’s group because I am interested in improving the nutrition not only of my own children, but also that of the others in the community. As an Early Childhood Educator and mother, I notice that the children who are malnourished lack interest and constantly complain of being hungry. Good nutrition is essential for them to develop into healthy and active adults.” |
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Executive Director, Pete Noll, most recently served two years as the Deputy Director, for the Democracy without Borders Foundation, located in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He graduated from the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University in 2006. His senior thesis project focused on technology and development related to ‘continuity of healthcare’ in rural Haiti. From 2002 - 2004, he acted as the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization (CORAL, A.C.) in Oaxaca, Mexico. He was a micro-enterprise development coordinator for the Peace Corps in Guatemala from 1998 – 2000 and a Logistics Manager & Social Outreach Promoter with the Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) in El Salvador following the 2001 earthquakes. He is a member of the Rotary Club, Oaxaca, District 4200. Pete joined Puente in June of 2008.
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Healthy Families Program Director, Martha Elena Miranda Jimenez was born in Mexico City. She studied Biology in the Iztacala Faculty of Superior Education at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She started her career in plant and ecological research and later co-founded the NGO, Autonomous Group for Environmental Investigation (GAIA) where she worked for more than ten years. At GAIA, Martha was responsible for propelling a participative process which would drive communities in the Coastal and Sierra Sur regions of Oaxaca towards the more sustainable management of their resources. She worked to strengthen local capacities, to ensure the systematization of information and in the creation of promotional and educational material. She is also highly experienced in the design and facilitation actions to improve planning, learning and exchange of ideas.
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Valentina Martinez Sanchez, Community Promoter Mixteca Alta Region. Valentina is the mother of two boys aged five and nine years old . She is a committee member of the Health Center, Advisor of the INEA (National Institute of Adult Education), and a teacher of Early Childhood Education in her community of Tierra Blanca. She believes that all the training she has received as an educator has helped her have a better understanding about how to raise her children, who are her greatest motivation. She began working with Puente to promote its amaranth programs and to work with mothers to improve family nutrition in June 2010. |
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Jaime Pacheco Bautista, Community Promoter, Mixteca Alta Region. In the late 1990s, due to lack of work opportunities in his home town, Jaime unwillingly left his pregnant wife and his four children and migrated to the USA. He wanted to be able to assure a good education for his children. After eight years working in the US, one of them fell sick and he returned to his family and his community, Santa Catarina Tayata. Jaime is now one of Puente’s most enthusiastic farmers and amaranth promoters, while his wife is actively involved in the Healthy Families nutritional program. He is the proud father of five healthy children and two grandchildren. Apart from his work with Puente, he also runs the community shop and is a member of the Parent’s Group in the local primary school. |
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