ciclistas fronteristas: Palomas, Chihuahua

I spent a day in Palomas, Chihuahua a couple years ago, checking out the new organization Border Partners. Three years later, Border Partners is still going strong with program areas including economic, education, health and recreation projects.

When I came over before, we visited the women's cooperative, which includes fewer than 10 women who make products from oilcloth and sell them online and at several gifty stores across the country. The cooperative stays small so that it can provide a sustainable income for the women who aim to take home $70 per week. The women also learned computer and accounting skills as they set up their online business to sell their products. Their oilcloth bags, aprons, and table decor can be found here. (Great Christmas presents!)

On this visit to Palomas, we accompanied one of the Border Partners volunteers, Peter Edmunds, in one stage of building a greenhouse. The greenhouse was built of paper-crete, a sustainable product produced in the area, by the owners Fernanado and Juana. Our task of the day was to build a door frame, window frames and a frame for the roof. I was given tideous little tasks and spent most the day just talking with Juana about her garden and chickens. Eric, who is a carpenter, was in his element.