I hope that as you receive this letter you are in good health together with your family. It is a great satisfaction for me to be able to write you and to thank you for your support for my university studies as a nurse. I am now married, have a young child and am working in the government hospital in my home town in Yajalón. God has given me the special gift of being able to use what I have learned to help the poor of my community. I ask God to continue to bless you knowing that with His help you will continue to help other young people to get an education. You will always be present in my prayers. ~ Luvia Araceli Mazariegos Trujillo
I am writing to thank you and all the people with you for what you have done for me and the poor people like me. I have now finished my formal studies in Law at the university in Tuxtla. At the end of August, I will return to Yajalón to give my year of service to the communities. I have presented my plan to the committee in charge and it includes workshops on Human Rights, especially Indigenous Rights. I have also offered to help with legal problems the people might have and with the correct composition of legal documents like birth certificates and land titles. Not having more to say for now, I again extend to you my sincere gratitude. ~ Antonio Vázquez Gómez
It is my sincere hope that you are content in life to know how much good you have done and continue to do by your generosity. I am writing to express my personal gratitude for your support in my professional preparation as a Social Psychologist. I also feel that the time at the university here in San Cristóbal Las Casas, Chiapas, has allowed me to be a part of a bigger world and meet and form relationships with so many different types of people. I am looking forward to using the tools and knowledge I have gained in service of the people in the community. This is why I am constantly asking God to inspire you to keep helping many other young people who, like myself, feel that education is the best road to personal and professional development. ~ Beatriz Cruz Garcia
It is a joy for me to be writing these words to thank all those people who have been supporting me during my five years studies in the area of Business Administration at the Chiapas Autonomous State University (UNACH) in the State Capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez. I am also thankful for being a part of the scholarship project of the Civil Association (indigenous non-profit) “Yashalúm de Santiago Apóstle”, because I never felt alone when I was so far away from home. In my family, we are ten children: eight brothers and two sisters. My mother is a widow since my father died suddenly two years ago. I am now back in Yajalón to spend my year of service helping with the administration of the education program so other indigenous young people can have the opportunity to get an education. Thank you again for your support and may God enlighten you and watch over you where ever you are. ~ Elmar Hernández Gómez, currently Dir. Yashalúmde de Santiago Apóstle.
Law school graduate Marcos López Pérez has begun studies for his masters degree in Penal Law in September of 2006. He started out with a scholarship for junior high and high school and then went on to help his community with their legal problems. After working four years as a volunteer at the Chiapas Human Rights Network, he decided to go to law school to be more effective. So he did and graduated from Law School at the State University of Chiapas in January of 2006, and continues to work for indigenous rights. But there is more on his plate. He has joined with other scholarship students to begin the first Tzeltal speaking radio station in the area. It is called “Scoplal yuún jLumaltic, ” which means “The Voice of Our People”. Marcos comes from the Mayan town of Petalcingo and his first language is Tzeltal. ~ Marcos López Pérez