Romana

Thirteen years ago Club Amay, in Queretaro, organized the first rural development project in the area known as the “Sierra Gorda.” This summer fifteen students from Queretaro took part in the latest version of this now traditional volunteer activity. With the support of local authorities and the help of individual contributors and students of other nationalities (on this occasion, Canadians), this project has grown stronger each year.

The place chosen this year was in the village of Temascales. Each morning the young women volunteers, riding in a flatbed truck, were driven to the project’s site. The bumps caused by potholes in the road were smoothed over by the joy of the assistance they were going to provide. The first activity consisted in imparting catechism classes. Classes in handicrafts were also offered, which helped entertain the children and enabled the mothers to relax and chat among themselves. The most difficult part of the project involved installing stoves and fruit drying ovens, among other reasons because it was the first time many of the volunteers had worked with steel sheeting, hammers, wheelbarrows, sand, and other construction materials. Thanks to the professional instruction of several experts, the results turned out quite well; and the people in the neighborhood learned techniques they could use in the future.

Another objective of the work camp was to repair the village chapel. After their efforts, on the last day of the camp, it was possible to celebrate Holy Mass there.