Our History
The sleepy village of Xalitzintla sits at the base of the volcano Popocatepetl, one of Mexico’s most active volcanoes. In 1998 Xalitzintla was the unlikely host to a group of North American volunteers on a service expedition with Project Mexico.
Although modern technology has brought cinder-block homes and electricity to Xalitzintla, many of the villagers conitnue the tradition of corn farming, planting their crops high on the fertile volcanic hills as has been done for centuries. Cobs of corn can be seen drying on roofs in a colorful variety of red, yellow, blue, and white.
The history of the place hangs as thick as the volcano’s floating ash. In 1519 Cortez passed through on his way to Mexico City. Aztec cities and temples dotted the valley below and worshipers came from far away to visit the holy sites. Today the people of Xalitzintla have no fear of their steaming neighbor and mostly ignore the government’s military post meant to organize an evacuation in case of an eruption.
The Project Mexico volunteers spent a week clearing weeds, garbage and scorpions from school playgrounds; painting schools; and repairing school bathrooms and basketball courts. They built a school amphitheater, performed dentistry work and celebrated the coming of the New Year with the people of Xalitzintla. Many from the group returned the following year along with several new families to continue the service work. They brought with them ophthalmologists, donated eye glasses, computers and school supplies.
The people of Xalitzintla opened up their homes to the North Americans with great generosity despite the extreme Poverty. Family courtyards were shaded by small fig and lime trees and scattered with small pens for pigs and chickens. Their small homes were without heat despite the cold of the winter months. Nevertheless, their smiles were warm and sincere; unforgettable lessons in humanity.
Despite poverty’s depressing cloak and each family’s constant struggle to survive, the young people of Xalitzintla cradled in their eyes the fire of a boundless hope: an image impossible to forget. Perhpas it was the young people that most motivated Jan and Bryson Garbett and Mark and Cheri Cornelius to look beyond the paint that would eventually chip, the playgrounds that would rust, and the garbage that would soon litter the clean fields.
Various efforts to begin small enterprises, computer training programs and other activities simmered with few lasting results. An introduction to the prestigious Mexico City High School, Benemerito de las Americas, was the key to Foundation Escalera’s beginnings.
Since 2000 Foundation Escalera has been making an education possible for students all over Mexico by providing scholarships, building schools, and working in classrooms to improve learning. The first scholarship recipients came from Xalitzintla and its surrounding towns, but Escalera now has students from all across Mexico. In 2006, two of our very first students from Xalitzintla entered college. They are the first from their village to ever attend a university.
