It took a few months to built the New Nutrition Center and a lot of
hard work and goodwill from the Hacienda Chichen staff, who donated
their time and skills during the construction of the New Nutrition
Center for the Mayan communities nearby Chichen Itza. This effort
was a learning opportunity to the local families accustomed to have
promises of help for alternative reasons, such as political gain
during elections. This is one experience the local families
have found to be a true gift of love with joy to share, give and
receive with a caring heart.
"We did it!" exclaimed with a great smile Abraham Blanco, who was in
charge of pluming and electric installations for the new center.
"We all worked to make this dream a venture we can be proud of," he
adds with a joyful expression in his face. Indeed, he and other of
the Hacienda Chichen workers labor with great care and pride. "This
experience taught our staff to give freely to their community, and
to do so with joy," said Mrs. Belisa Barbachano, she is active donor
to the Maya Foundation In Laakeech sustainable programs.
A
charming garden at the entrance of the new building was carefully
plan and planted by the team of gardeners working atl Hacienda
Chichen. Filiberto and Don Paulino team led the work, level
the terrain, planted small trees and ornament plants around the new
center which features a state of the art bio-degradable septic
system, eco-friendly light features, an ample open kitchen in a
multi-use living area, plus two lovely public bathrooms.
The Maya Foundation In Láakeech Board of Trustees worked with the
local young doctor to created various levels of nutrition and health
programs including workshops for young adults to learn how to
successfully budget economic meal plans and learn to cook using soya
meat and other health food. "We are proud do see children grow
health thanks to our volunteer efforts, support and care” said Luis
Iuit who is in charge to buy and bring the nutritive produces each
week to the center. His commitment to the quality of the
produces bought has helped ensure that over 120 Mayan children were
diagnosed out of mal-nutrition levels in the past two months.
"We have now a new level of support to the Mayan families, which
includes post-malnutrition meal programs for those children that we
have helped in the past year," says Mrs. Belisa Barbachano who is
one of the main sponsors and active member of the Maya Foundation In
Láakeech Board of Trustees.
"It
is wonderful to
be part of the volunteer team that help create this place for our
community," said Jose Tamay who is an active Board of Trustees
member for the Mayan Foundation In Laakeech and oversaw the
construction financial needs. "We still need a lot of help to
meet our goals, a new refrigerator donated by the foundation
president, Mr. Ruben Gutierrez should arrive this week," Jose
explains, "Mrs. Judy Abbott de Mier y Teran, co-owner and editor of
Yucatan Today donated the colorful children chairs and Chef Josue
Cime's kitchen offered the cooking pots and pans to prepare the
meals each day. "We have the opportunity to give and share,"
Co-chef Saturnino expressed with joy, "our community people are not
used to volunteering for the common good so this project gave us all
the opportunity to feel good about sharing, giving and caring," he
added "we are so proud we have done this and look forwards to the
new Nutrition Centers that the Foundation will open next year with
our help and support.
Indeed, most of the Maya Foundation In Laakeech (in lak' ech)
volunteer work was done by the staff of the Hacienda Chichen; a task
that brought pride and joy by freely giving of oneself to support
and care for needs of their communities. The foundation
programs include travelers' volunteer efforts as well, which give of
their time and skills to teach English classes to the workers and
residents in the villages. This year, four volunteers have helped
the English as a second language summer program.
"Few months ago, when we first visited the Xcalacoop Health Clinic,
our hearts were overtaken by the conditions of the site," explains
Mrs. Belisa Barbachano, since her first visiting the Health Clinic (photo
bellow) she
accepted the challenge to bring positive changes to this community
by constructing a new center and creating a Nutrition Program that
was to meet more than the basic needs of the Mayan children and
families; since then, she and The Maya Foundation In Laakeech have
brought a pro-active financial support to bring health and job
opportunities to the young Maya and to the communities future
generation.
Donating a Nutrition Fun Party to the
Maya Children through the Maya Foundation In Laakeech:
If you can
not spend two or more weeks as a "in-field" volunteer, then you may wish to
donate or sponsor a Nutrition Lunch Party at one of the many Maya children
community centers we cater in rural Maya villages near Chichen Itza,
Yucatan, Mexico.
With a
budget as little as USD $280 or a bit more we can help you organize a
wonderful Lunch or Dinner Party for the children serving nutritional meals,
fresh fruit refreshments, and some joyful activities to bring big smiles to
over 65 children living in Student Housing Centers or you may wish to donate
a special Nutrition Cook Out Lunch in one of the rural schools we support.
Just
send us an email
to let us know you wish to sponsor
such event and we will be happy to help you organize it, purchase the
groceries and do the organization work of the event for you to come and
enjoy it with the kids.
2012 Summer Update: Our
Mayan Children Nutrition Centers will be featuring new Nutritional
and Healthy Cooking Classes with new low budget, high nutrition
recipes from Maya Nut and Chaya among other "old nutritional
produces from the jungle and Mayan rural homes' backyard trees and
herbs." We are all very excited with this new approach to
bring nutritional meals to rural Mayan families, especially to
children and the elder. This healthy food choices are truly
low budget, highly nutritional, and tasty for the whole family.
Chaya is already one of the most
nutritional food produces that are served today, but we will
re-introduce the Maya Nut recipes, or
Ramon seeds as they are commonly known in the Yucatan; for
decades, these nutritional seeds have gone unnoticed by local
families as a great way to add nutrition and taste to a families
meal. But today, with the help of the Maya Foundation In
Laakeech and Chef Josue Cime, the Maya Nut will re-emerge as a
favorite healthy choice in the rural Mayan homes!
FREE MAYA NUT NUTRITION AND COOKING WORKSHOPS
Mesoamerica’s Wonderful Tree: A Sustainable Nutritional Food Staple.
Article by Belisa B. Gordon for the Maya Foundation
In Laakeech, a Sustainable Civil Society (NGO)
Know to the Maya
people of Yucatan as Tax’ Osh the Maya Nut Tree,
Brosimum alicastrum, is one of the largest evergreen trees found
in Central America and parts of Mexico. A native evergreen to
tropical America from the Moraceae fig family, the Maya nut
tree tolerates marginal soils, salt and drought, an excellent
species for rehabilitating degraded land and to establish valued
agro-ecosystems that contribute to air cleansing and reducing
deforestation in favor of corn farming practices. Maya nut trees can
help many indigenous communities to have nutritional staple food and
increase their income while protecting water sources and the
tropical forest biodiversity.
Historically, every part of the Ramon or Maya nut tree is useful to
humans including the fruit, seed (“nut”), bark, wood, leaves, and
latex. The seed in particular is widely recognized for its
nutritious value. Various parts of the Brosimum alicastrum
are used in Mayan natural medicine, such as latex or seed decoction
use as a lactation stimulant. ( Morton, 1977).
Maya Nut tree leaves, pulp and seeds are a part of the staple forest
food not only for human but for domestic and
wild birds and
animals, the seeds known among Maya of Yucatan as O’ok (called
Maya nut in English) is among the most nutritional staple food
produces for the ancient Mayan people and other indigenous groups of
Mesoamerica. The use of fresh and powder Maya nut in people’s diet
has declined drastically since the early 1950s with the
industrialization of corn farming. Maya nut trees are a true gift of
Mother Nature; their leaves are excellent fodder for cows, deer,
horses and goats, providing a sustainable alternative to pasture in
the tropics.
Nowadays a
few rural ranchers use these seeds as nutritive food to grow organic
pork and beef; but few young native mothers and their families
understand the nutritional value this wonderful seed can bring to
their own families table. Consuming this healthy seed can
improve the health of family members, especially infants and elder
people. The Maya nut or Ramon seed can be dried and stored for up
to five years; it is rich in fiver, protein, vitamins A, E, C, and
B, minerals such as calcium, potassium, folate, iron, and zinc.
Nutritionally compare with soya bean, the Maya nut is surprisingly
higher in nutritional value and far more accessible to get in rural
villages in South Mexico and Central America. Re-introducing its
value as a nutritional food is of great importance to avoid
mal-nutrition in young children and elders; thus, the Maya Institute
(NGO) and the Maya Foundation In Laakeech are conducting volunteer
workshops to inform and educate rural young females about the great
nutrition value of this tasty seed.
Maya nut flour has served as a valued emergency food during
difficult times in many regions, thus many communities considered it
only as famine food and its consumption has dropped to less than
five per cent of local diets. Sadly the Ramon or Maya nut tree
numbers in the forest have decline due to timber practices, becoming
almost extinct in many regions of Central America. To counter this
trend, great effort is given to re-introduce the Maya nut or Ramon
tree as a rich nutritional food and eco-value to local people by the
Maya Nut Institute, founder Erika Vohman; her team with the
collaboration of the Maya Foundation In Laakeech (NGO) are nowadays
establishing regular Maya nut cooking classes and nutritional
workshops..
For us at the Maya Children Nutrition Center, the
re-introduction of these seeds as a tasty low-budget meal choice
will help mother's avoid mal-nutrition in young children and elders.
In many Mayan villages near Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, the MFIL
is actively introducing to the local communities the value of this
nutritional seed by providing free Maya Nut Cooking Workshops and
nutrition classes. Maya people are encouraged to conserve the tree,
to establish community Maya nut nurseries and reforest depleted
areas, after being re-introduced to the nutritional value of the
nut. During demonstration cooking days, the women are shown how to
make new and traditional recipes, substituting Maya nut for maize.
Not only Mayan communities are encouraged to conserve the Ramon or
Tax O’sh, at
Hacienda Chichen in Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, the staff has
started a sustainable Maya nut nursery and reforestation program to
reclaim depleted farmland. Executive Chef
Josue Cime
has introduce a variety of new organic menu selections based on Maya
nut to increase the interest for this great seed in staff and
visitors and to promote the nutritional value of this wonderful and
the truly tasty nut. The introduction of the Maya nut as a
Mayan organic food product in his menu, is part of the
sustainable eco-cultural vision of Hacienda
Chichen.
"It is inspirational to witness the change in the health,
self-esteem and status of so many indigenous women. Recognizing the
benefits of Maya nut have helped them change their lives," expresses
with great joy Erika Vohman, Executive Director and Founder of the
Maya Nut Institute NGO. Through this organization effort many
communities have been inspired to plant more than 300,000 Maya nut
trees, supplementing food and income, and protecting water sources,
and forest biodiversity.
A variety of Ramon or Maya nut tree that produces fruit in four
years, half the usual time, was recently discovered in Merida and
Chichen Itza, Yucatan,
Mexico. Erika Vohman, founder of the Equilibrium Foundation and Maya
Nut Institute affirms: "Investing in research and genetic
improvement of this species, as well as encouraging its use for
food, fodder and environmental services, may well be one of the most
positive things governments and organizations can do right now to
improve agro-ecosystem resilience to climate change and thereby
secure the future of both human and wildlife populations in the
neo-tropics."
“Maya nut can be a keystone species in neo-tropical lowland
ecosystems, as it is the preferred food source for over 85% of
neo-tropical birds and wildlife. Healthy Maya nut forests are ideal
for subsistence hunting and ecotourism as well as providing a refuge
for tropical biodiversity. The Maya Foundation In Laakeech has
started a program to sale many Maya Nut Food Products such as
roasted Maya nut (delicious taste similar to Mocha / chocolate) and
dried Maya nut flour, a nutritional powder presentation that can be
used as a substitute of corn or wheat flour (or mix it) in any
recipe including cakes and dessert.
Become a MFIL
Volunteer and help us help children
in need!
Your kind support to our Mayan
Children Nutrition Center is highly appreciated, small contributions
help our daily nutrition meal program continue providing quality
food to many young children in their developing stage of grown.
Come and join our
volunteer team or if you are visiting soon Yucatan, please bring
a few "gifts of love" such as good used clothes for the children or
better yet, donate children's multi-vitamins and other nutritious
supplements to help them grow healthy, happy, and with all the
needed nutrients to develop with a good start.
To learn how you can
become a MFIL volunteer please contact via email:
info@yucatanadventure.com.mx
and do read our
volunteers FAQ.
We have many social volunteer opportunities awaiting you with an
open heart; so come and give a gift of love and care to Maya
Children in Yucatan, Mexico.
Hacienda Chichen Resort actively supports our work
through the Maya Foundation In Laakeech (in lak' ech)
social volunteer
civil association and our social work programs, by
donating rooming within this green boutique hotel, Yucatan's best
Eco-Spa Wellness destination and
Mayan Holistic Retreat. Visit their website to learn more
about this lovely Eco-Spa Resort truly committed to Sustainable
Tourism and
GeoTurism practices in Yucatan,
Mexico.
DID YOU KNOW:
For many years Mayan
Children did not have a proper place to eat a nutritious meal at the
Public Health Center in Xcalacoop, like many rural towns in Yucatan,
Mexico, Xcalacoop had little support to bring proper public care to
its residents and local families. Since 2007, the Maya Foundation In
Laakeech (in lak'ech) a small private civil volunteer
association, with no governmental funding, committed its efforts to
support the Mayan people and communities with their private founding
and volunteer team.
DECEMBER
OF 2007, Yucatan Adventure Reported: The Maya Foundation's
volunteer team is currently focusing their efforts to support the
Children's Malnutrition Program
at the Xcalacoop Health Center near Chichen Itza, Yucatan.
With the collaboration of Hacienda Chichen & Chichen Services, the
Xcalacoop Health Center will inaugurate a brand
new building in 2008.
Keep checking back for updates! Our recent efforts have helped
repair the dilapidated facility (depicted left) so that they can
continue to function and serve the community, while we await the
building of a New Nutrition Center (this article's top photo).
Yucatan Adventure Volunteer Team congratulates all those involved in
the creation of the Maya Children Nutrition Program and the building
of the new center. If you wish to support our efforts, please
contact us via email to
info@yucatanadventure.com.mx
Long
before the "sustainable tourism" term began to catch momentum or
even Geo-tourism as National Geographic's editor tag the trend,
Hacienda Chichen Resort has been practicing such ideal way of
blending ecological care with social support with respect for the
Maya cultural legacy in their region.
We hope you find our
Online Volunteer Magazine's articles interesting and full of
learning fun. Yucatan Adventure welcomes article, news, travel
contributions, and ideas on how to support the Maya Foundation In
Laakeech A.C. efforts to help the Mayan Communities nearby Chichen
Itza, Yucatan, Mexico.
Back to Top
MAYA PEOPLE HELPING THEIR COMMUNITIES:
Name:
Josue Cime Profession: Executive Chef - Hacienda
Chichen Volunteer Social Input: Cooking Trainning Program
and Job Opportunity Development for the Maya Foundation In Laakeech
(in lak' ech) Mayan Village where he lives: Kahua,
Yucatan, Mexico
“We all enjoy helping and making a small difference in our
communities, it is rewarding to give our time, share our vision and
dedicate our efforts to help improve our public schools, health
centers and other local community needs,” explains Executive
Chef Josue Cime, an indigenous Maya that has stepped up the
professional latter with great success. Chef Josue Cime and
the owners of Hacienda Chichen have joined their efforts to create
training and learning opportunities for young adults; the hotel’s
kitchen is like a great workshop with a small young team that he
personally teaches and trains. "Helping this young local Maya
people develop many skills in the art of cooking Maya cuisine and
Fusion gourmet entrees is a great challenge and honor," he said.
He enjoys the challenge and has his heart set in helping these young
adults increase their job opportunities within the growing
hospitality industry.
Now, Chef Josue Cime and co-chef Saturnino will be helping the New
Nutrition Center's Meal Planning and Healthy Cooking within a low
budget for mothers and young adult females wishing to learn the art
of cooking healthy economic meals for their families. The
Nutrition Cooking Classes will be held in October after Placido
Domingo's Concert to be celebrated October 4th in Chichen Itza's
famous Maya temples and archaeological site. For more
information about the concert please contact
www.chichenservices.com
With Chichen Itza new title as one of the Seven Wonders of the
World, business is not as usual. Demand for fine gourmet food
service is growing in the region and the Hacienda Chichen catering
reputation has grown to be the best Maya and Fusion Gourmet Cuisine
served in all Chichen Itza. Chef Josue Cime has two senior
cooks, Saturnino and Florentino, both help him with the great
responsibilities encounter in running a boutique hotel kitchen while
teaching and training the young apprentices he has selected to be
his first in the job cooking-workshop. We praise his
dedication and support he brings to his community young adults and
hope his example is followed by other skilful professionals.
For further
information about the Maya Foundation In Laakeech A.C. please
contact us
info@yucatanadventure.com.mx or call our US toll free #
813 435 6904
We thankGeotourism
Challenge for Sustaining the Future of Destinations,
where the Maya Foundation In Laakeech NGO and the Hacienda Chichen
sustainable tourism vision were featured as examples of unique
Geo-Sustainable innovating visionaries. Program sponsored by
National Geographic and Ashoka's Changemakers.
Back
to Top
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM TRENDS IN
YUCATAN
Yucatan Adventure article by
Sarah M. Levin
August 2008
Update March 2009, May 2010, June
2012, April 2014, Aug.2016
Sponsor Site:
Maya Vacation
Portal offering
travelers unique Maya cultural
experiences and great
eco-friendly activities.
