Brief commentaries from four assembly participants
Cuacalco, Benito Juárez, Veracruz (Náhuatl)
Juan José Lavaniegos, director of Fomento was present in the assembly on the 14th of September 2022. Sixty-five people participated, all of whom were men. The Ambulantes program information which Fomento shared generated some reactions, reflected in the following testimonies:
For Carlos it was important to transmit information about what people should do when they travel to the harvests in other states: “This is very important information for the young people, mainly to share with our children and nephews so that they don’t run unnecessary risks.”
The same sentiment was also shared by Javier, who commented: ‘It’s important because my son wants to travel to work but I don’t allow him. Now I have information to explain why he should not go to the contracts. Many of the youth in the community have gone and it has not gone well for them.”
He continued: “Many of those here in the assembly have gone to the contracts and have had bad experiences, going without food and without pay. However, it’s embarrassing for them to share in public what they experienced. That’s why it’s important to hear this information.”
What we consider important to highlight is that all of the assembly participants commented that the information shared should be more widely known. Efraín commented: “There was already one kid from the community who left without letting anyone know where he was going. We don’t know what had happened to him, he had disappeared. When they didn’t find him, they went to the municipal president to find a solution, but nobody knew where he had gone. Finally, he was found, but it shows the importance of sharing your destination so that we know where to look for people.”