Mixtec girl at Costalegre

(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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My friend Ruth invited me to Melaque Jalisco to take some photographs for the NGO she works for, its called “Ayuda a los niños Costalegre A.C.”; is a short 3 and a half hours drive from Guadalajara (where i live). She took me to this Mixtec community just outside Melaque where this NGO runs medical and educational projects, she was checking the school they are building there. It took me a little while to actually realize that there was something out of place, because Mixtecs come from the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca in the south of Mexico, very far away from Jalisco. They came here looking for jobs at the chile plantations, as a consequence, they  live in very basic conditions there, big families in tiny houses and no running water. Even though that place resembles the meaning of poverty, the experience with “Ayuda a los niños” was very satisfying, as soon as you’re there you feel like you are in a different country, they speak Mixtec language which is a branch of Nahuatl, the language the Aztecs spoke. Their culture is ancient and very rich, it really hurts to see how they’re struggling to adapt to these “modern times”. Just like any other place I’ve been, kids were fantastic, friendly and playful, specially with people carrying cameras like me. This girl followed us for the entire time we were there she was very funny and playful, but everytime I tried to take her photograph she would go shy, i love her silhouette in this shot.

Support Ruth’s NGO, check their website: Ayuda a los Niños