My role as a volunteer, a Mixtec woman, and a US citizen

I spent this past summer working with Puente on their Veranos de Nutrición (Summer of Nutrition) program. This amazing opportunity was made possible through the Monica Miller Walsh Grant from the Stanford University Center for Latin America Studies. Currently, I am completing my Master of Science in Epidemiology, and hope to attend medical school in the near future. I have deep roots in Oaxaca; my mother is from a small village in the Mixteca region named San Pedro y San Pablo Tequixtepec. She migrated to the United States before I was born, and labored as a farmworker picking produce across Oregon and Washington.

I first became aware of Puente when I participated in a university trip – “Community Health” – in Oaxaca, with Dr. Gabriel Garcia, and became increasingly interested in how cultural, socioeconomic, and biological environments influence health. As I learned about Puente, I saw that they worked at the intersection of these factors at the community level. Growing up, I heard countless stories of the challenges that my mother faced in her village, which didn’t have electricity or running water, and the nutritional challenges they faced that led to stunting and other health problems. During my time in Oaxaca, I helped implement and evaluate the Veranos de Nutrición camps, assisting with sessions and interviewing youth leaders about their experiences and perceptions of the program.

While travelling with the Puente team I saw the daily challenges that communities face in preparing healthy food for their children. I also learned about the importance of diversifying income streams for families. I met one family that, with the support of Puente, had been able to increase their crop production, better support their children’s education, and establish a sense of self-sufficiency. They spoke of improving their health through knowledge of nutrition. It was beautiful to hear a girl explain their family business and how Puente had empowered her to be more outspoken. I also recall sitting with a young girl named Lupita over lunch and talking about what made up a healthy diet. As she described her meal to me, I thought about the importance of access to health education and the benefit of the nutritious meals that Puente provided her and other kids like her.

This summer was incredibly transformative and reinforced a sense of pride in Oaxaca and the resilience of its people with an unwavering desire to improve conditions for future generations. It was also a time of reflection about my role as a volunteer, a Mixtec woman, and a US citizen. As I pursue my studies in medicine, my dream is to return to Oaxaca as a physician working to reduce health disparities and challenges. Thanks to my experience with Puente I left Oaxaca with a sense of hope for the future.

— Gianna Nino Tapia