Yucatan News: Cancer and Cleantech
Green Gold Recovery On the Way
Since December, the State of Yucatan has been distributing the money necessary to clean old fields and get new crops of sisal growing. Major sisal municipalities include Acanceh, Baca, Bokobá, Cacalchén, Cansahcab, Chicxulub Pueblo, Cuzamá, Dzemul, Dzidzantún, Hocabá, Hoctún, Homún, Huhí, Hunucmá, Izamal, Kinchil, Mocochá, Motul, Muxupip, Seyé, Sinanché and Sum Hidalgo, as well as Tahmek, Tekal Venegas, Tekantó, Telchac Pueblo, Temax, Tepakán, Tetiz, Teya, Tixkokob, Tixpéual, Xocchel, Yaxkukul and Yobaín. Thousands of rural workers will see jobs return and local economies flourish. The return of this natural fabric to the international market is exceptionally good news in rural Yucatan.
Bringing Prosperity to the Rest of the Municipality of Merida
We often think of Merida, the city, and Merida, the municipality (county) interchangeably. But nothing could be farther from the way it really is. In fact, Merida (the city) is the capital of both the State of Yucatan and the Municipality of Merida. It recently became abundantly clear that many in the outlying towns and villages of the Municipality of Merida felt that they had to move to into the city in order to make a better living for their families. This phenomenon was creating pressure on Merida’s city services and depopulating the rural areas of the municipality. As it turns out, the people whose homes were in the rural areas really wanted to stay there, so a new program was begun. Now, the Municipal Government of Merida has invested in rural public works, community gardens and in the development of irrigation for grasslands so that rural families will be able to enjoy a stable and sustainable economy.
New Hostel for Cancer Kids and Families
Merida, Yucatan has recently been listed as one of the best places in Mexico with respect to the treatment of cancer. This includes the treatment of cancer in both adults and children. With advances in medical technology come changes that must be made in how treatment is delivered. This means that children with some forms of cancer are now required to remain in Merida for longer periods of time, which requires family members to also remain in Merida. Hotels are out of the question, but the Mexican Association of Aid to Children with Cancer, A.C. (Amanc) is stepping up and providing the solution. Within two months, the doors of a new hostel will open in Merida. They will serve three meals a day, and mothers can rest, bathe, wash clothes and return to the hospital on a free shuttle. Amanc serves children with cancer who are being treated in all local hospitals and provides a wide range of services, including airfare if a child needs to go to D.F. for special treatment. To learn more about Amanc, visit the Amanc website .
Cleantech Challenge Mexico 2015
This is a contest between sustainable entrepreneurial proposals. It is open to students, entrepreneurs, researchers, professions and society in general. The contest is in search of the best projects that have social, economic and environmental impact, regardless of the age or condition of the participants. Previous Cleantech Challenges have had participants as young as 13 and as old as 86, so come one, come all. Winners receive huge cash prizes, along with investment from private equity funds that have the capacity to co-invest millions.
Deadline to Apply: April 4, 2015
Regional Winner Award: May 18, 2015 in TECNIA Park Anahuac University
Yucatan Hosting IT Seminar in Florida
For the past decade, the IT industry in Yucatan has been growing at a rapid rate. Today, there are over 200 IT development companies in Yucatan and they are responsible for approximately 5,000 jobs. Yucatan already has software marketing relationships in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Los Angeles, California. The next three most important IT markets are Boston, San Francisco and Florida. This week, Yucatan will be hosting its first seminar in Florida, reaching out to the 30,000 companies there that are linked to technological developments, 13,000 of which work in software development. Software development leaders of global markets will also be on hand. Look for even greater accomplishments in the field of IT software development coming from Yucatan from this point forward.
Yucateca Heroine: Danilu Vales Gamboa de Rosel
This lady is the President of Asociacion Yucateca Pro Deficiente Auditivo (Ayproda), A.C., a civil organization dedicated to working with local, national and international resources for the sole purpose of improving the lives of not only deaf Yucatecos, but of their families as well. Twenty-seven years ago, this daughter of one physician and young wife of another was informed that her first-born son was deaf. This young psychiatric nurse and mother momentarily hit bottom, then rose up like a Grecian Goddess of War to travel as far as was necessary to learn as much as necessary and to meet as many specialists as necessary to bring back help for the deaf children of Yucatan and their families. She formed Ayproda, whose members are all the family members of deaf children and they slowly began to make advances. Today, Ayproda is able to serve all of the children who are born deaf in Yucatan. Programs include diagnostics, prevention, parental education, education for teachers, distance learning, rehabilitation, and audioverbal therapy. To learn more about Ayproda, visit the Ayproda website.
Davis Cup (Tennis) Elimination Round in Merida Ends in Tie
On Friday, March 6, 2015, an elimination round in the run up to the Davis Cup was played in Merida, Yucatan. It was attended by members of the Mexican Tennis Federation, as well as the International Tennis Federation. One topic that did come up was how the heat was possibly going to affect the outcome. At the present time, temperatures in Bolivia are 50 F lower than they are in Merida. Not to be discouraged, the Bolivians spent the days leading up to the matches practicing in Merida’s weather and they say the heat was not a factor for them. It is events like this that are putting Merida on the map as a preferred destination for international sporting events and that is not lost on the Departments of Tourism in Merida, in Yucatan, or in Mexico. In a cliff-hanger of a match, this Davis Cup regional match ended in a tie!
International Day of Women March 8, 2015
This year, the number of women and girls in Yucatan supercedes that of men and boys by approximately 40,000 individuals. This means that 50.71% of the population is now female, as compared to 1990, when only 48.78% of the population was female. Women vote and women often hold the purse strings, especially to household expenses, so the race is on to finally finish granting them all of the human rights due them. Even then, some say it will still be another 80 years before women’s rights are gained worldwide, but Yucatan might get there first. Look for more girls than ever before to gain access to excellent educational opportunities, as well as access to more reproductive health options. From there, the young ladies and women of Yucatan have already shown themselves to be superior in every way and we expect no less in the future.
An Amazing Walker in Cancun’s 5K for Women’s Day
Four years ago, señora Guadalupe Labrada viuda de Torreda came to Cancun to visit her children, fell in love with the city and moved to Cancun on the spot. Lupita (her nickname) loves anything that has to do with health, wellness, exercise, joy and happiness. Obviously, the Yucatan Peninsula is the place for her! Oh! Did we forget to say that Lupita was 96 years of age when she moved to Cancun? – or that she finished the Cancun 5K for Women’s Day at the age of 99? – and 3K of the Cancun 5K for Women’s Day now at 100 years of age? If Lupita can, anybody can! So get up, get out, and get busy.
Second UFO Alert Report: No UFO’s Spotted
People from 43 towns in Yucatan, Campeche, and Quintana Roo stood outside, in the middle of the night, for hours, and watched for UFO activity. Some were desperate to see alien crafts in the night sky, while others were desperate to see nothing (which is what happened). One or two individuals watching from Campeche and Quintana Roo had stories of previous sightings, as did the members of a police patrol who came out to see what was going on. Otherwise, it was an uneventful (and completely tongue-in-cheek) evening that we expect will be happily repeated soon.
