Hello again everyone,

     Hope this message finds you all well!

     We just wanted to take a moment to let you all know that we officially finished our in-country work with Tejiendo Alianzas and the Xuchil team on June 15, 2019. Just as a refresher, here is what we planned on completing with help from the community members in Santiago Suchilquitongo during our 2.5 weeks in Oaxaca: (1) Build a Polyhouse Solar Dryer (modified greenhouse) to help make the mesquite pod drying process more efficient; (2) test and purchase agricultural bags to help protect the mesquite pods from pests throughout the drying and milling process; and (3) design and build a pulley system in order to help decrease the safety risk of lugging heavy bags filled with mesquite pods to the roof and increase the overall efficiency of the flour making process. While 90% of our work was completed in-country, due to time constraints we had to contract out the actual building of the pulley. After brainstorming a pulley design, going over the design with our trusted contractor, and confirming materials available in Oaxaca, we are confident that the pulley will be constructed according to how the Xuchil team wants it and we are excited to see the final outcome soon!

     While the engineering projects took up a lot of time and energy, we have to say that the most important thing we got from our work in Oaxaca was the relationships we made by the end of it all. All of us were amazed to see how welcoming, open, and hardworking every person we met in Oaxaca was and we were all blown away by the experience. Being introduced to new foods, new communities, new topics, and new people provided us with so many wonderful opportunities to learn through hands-on experiences and we know that this trip will always hold a special place in our hearts. If you would like to learn more about what the trip was like for us, you can visit our blog and learn more!

     As you can probably tell, the trip was a major success in a number of ways, and we could not have done it without all of y’all’s generous support! Thank you to everyone who helped us along the way in one way or another, we are forever grateful for it. 

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you,

Archik, Gaby, Hannah I., Hannah M., and Ryan

     -PUC Team Mexico 2019 

Friends, family, and other cherished donors-

     As the second semester kicks into full gear we wanted to take a second to say thank you to everyone for all of the support, both moral and financial, that each and every one of y’all provided us with last semester. Having attained the financial backing we needed to make our project a reality, this semester we plan to focus on prototyping and getting ready to actually implement our project in Oaxaca, Mexico with the help of the Xuchil gang!

     If you would like to continue monitoring our project’s progress, feel free to follow our social media sites:

     Website: https://pucmexico2019.wixsite.com/oaxaca

     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pucmexico2019/?ref=bookmarks

     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pucmexico2019/

     If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions related to our project, you can reach us at pucmexico2019@gmail.com.

     Again, this project would not have been possible without everyone’s help, and we cannot thank y’all enough!

      Here’s to an awesome and productive new year,

      PUC Team Mexico 2019

Hello! We are happy to update y'all on our Cookie Bake Sale and recent fundraising achievements! Last week we baked over 300 Mesquite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and held a bake sale in front of ETC. The mesquite flour in our cookie batter was produced and milled from our community in Suchilquitongo, Mexico! Mesquite has a unique flavor that resembles an earthy and sweet blend that is further enhanced when combined with oats and chocolate chips. We hoped you enjoyed the cookies as much as we enjoyed baking and explaining our project! We were able to raise over $600 from our bake sale!! Thank you for your donations and support!! 

We are currently at 63% of our fundraising goal (almost $10,000!!!). None of this is possible with out you all. We are truly thankful for you, our donors and supporters, as we enter into this Thanksgiving Holiday! Continue to share with your friends and family about our project and goal. Stay updated on Facebook, Instagram and our Website! 

Aside from fundraising, we have been finalizing our design and materials for our Polyhouse Solar Dryer! We are looking into current designs and altering them to fit our needs to enhance the drying process for our community. To learn more about our project updates visit our site! 

Thank you again for your help! Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely, 

Team Mexico 19