Four weeks in CDMX have gone by incredibly fast, and honestly, our progress is accelerating a lot. With Las Sabinas, we were able to continue building the puppets, and at this point they are almost entirely finished. It has been really fun, but also kind of terrifying, because none of us are especially “crafty.” Still, seeing the puppet take shape has made it feel more real, and like we are building something that will support the conversations we want to have.
On top of the puppet work, we also had a second deliverable: crafting a big stage for the puppet shows. This week we were able to get started on the design, and we painted the first two layers of paint. Looking ahead, this weekend we are meeting with the volunteers again for an arts session, and hopefully we will be able to finish most of the stage crafting.
On Wednesday, the team from Genera Territorios came to the Make Sense office to give us a talk about their work. They focus on honey and bees, and one of the most important parts of their project is supporting rural women in Mexico by creating more economic opportunities through beekeeping. They also explained that Mexico has many different types of wild bees, but the honey produced by their specific work may not fit everyone’s taste, which limits the export market. That made me think about how much of “success” is connected to culture, access to markets, and who gets the chance to benefit from resources in the first place.
On Thursday, we rested. I got to walk around the area of Polanco, and seeing the style and the peaceful neighborhoods was really striking. But it also reminded me that only a small portion of people in Mexico get to experience that kind of lifestyle. It felt like a clear contrast compared to the lives of people living in, for example, the State of Mexico. Last week, during our visit to Hagamos Composta, we were told that many people on the outskirts lack confidence because they aren’t exposed to as many opportunities as people are in Mexico City, and that even learning opportunities like English can be limited since not everyone has the chance to speak the foreign language.
This week made leadership feel more concrete to me through the 3C model. The change-maker value became clearer as I saw how the puppets and stage are practical tools for child safety and early prevention conversations. Capacities grew through turning stressful, slow tasks into smaller steps, collaborating as a team, and planning with volunteers. Character was reinforced by the contrast I noticed between areas like Polanco and the challenges described in the outskirts, which reminded me to stay humble, grounded, and flexible while continuing to contribute even when I am still learning.