DESTINATION:DESTINATION:MEXICO MEXICO

Aging and Emerging SocietiesAGER 5910

Spring Break 2009

Sayula, JaliscoMexico

We were greeted by retirees from the States

A welcome meal our first night

Almost 800 people live in Apango.there’s a mixture of extremewealth and poverty. They seemedjoyful for our visit and openedtheir doors to all of us. Wesurveyed three homes extensivelyin different quarters (one of thefamily was expecting a baby) andlater decided to mount a solarpanel on one of them on our nextvisit. The others also received foodand non-perishable items on ournext visit.

Apango, Jalisco, Mexico

The first of three houses had no running water and only one bare bulb

The second house had no running water and no electricity. This was home for nine people and many chickens and burros

The third house had received assistance from the government for a new roof. There was also close knit extended family to help

In Guzman, we met the Zapolans (indigenous people of Guzman) at the DIF center and presented at the cultural center. We were received by staffs of the center and the Mayor’s wife

Guzman, JaliscoMexico

Apango – Elder Cowboy!!

Local who came out to visit with us as we walked the streets

Aging with dignity..

Bugambilias Adult Day Care Center in Guadalajara- 225 visitors daily.

Bugambilias Adult Day Care with rehabilitation , clinic assessment by various professional, and senior center activities –pool table, dancing, singing , crafts, painting, computer lab, etc.

Discussing the future aging issues in Mexico with representatives from ITESO University

Mercedes Martinez , Coordinator in Mexico. Everado Comacho leader of movement to establish graduate program in gerontology at ITESO.

Stan Ingman, UNT , Everado Comacho, Chair, Department of Psycholology, Health, Community at ITESO and Judith Anders, RN, UNT

ITESO - Architecture is an art work that expresses space creatively and compels humanity toward perfection

Colegio Once Mexico Symbols represent ancient Mayan number system, each bar equals five and the circle indicates one for a total of eleven

Very intimate group of parents who care about their elderly and the future of their aging and how it will affect Mexico in the coming years

Solar Panel Trial Run

Learning how to put the solar system together prior to going to Apango.- inverter, solar panel, fuse, battery, etc.

Fall prevention demonstration by Charles Ewing . Some 50 residents from Sayula attended

Pato our local assistant and colleague in Mexico explaining how the solar system works

Session was held at the Community Hall at our hotel on Friday night

All 11 graduate students sat up front to take questions and make presentations. Margaret Bate dressed in her tradition outfit from Cameron.

Getting the audience involved - Adrienne Jackson get audience up and exercising

Installation day! Attaching to the roof It works!!

Creating a rack to put solar panel on roof, using PVC pipe. Working together

Soot covered from indoor cooking

Seniors from 60 to over 100 meet with team at clinic in Apango. Question: How to live longer?

As one lady said I am over 100. Not so how much. Ask my sister she is 98 !

It’s a boy!! New mother in first house. Team brought baby supplies for new mother and baby on Saturday.

Two additional children in family . Six to Ten dollars per day for a day work in fields does not go far.

We would like to thank all those that made this trip possible.

Invaluable Partner Eduardo “Pato” Contreras

Our Translator Frances Rizo

Many Thanks to Veronique Ingman

Our Representative Mercedes & Alejandro Martinez