DESTINATION: MEXICO Aging and Emerging Societies AGER 5910 Spring Break 2009 Sayula, Jalisco Mexico We were greeted by retirees from the States A welcome meal our first night Apango, Jalisco, Mexico Almost 800 people live in Apango. there’s a mixture of extreme wealth and poverty. They seemed joyful for our visit and opened their doors to all of us. We surveyed three homes extensively in different quarters (one of the family was expecting a baby) and later decided to mount a solar panel on one of them on our next visit. The others also received food and non-perishable items on our next visit. The first of three houses had no running water and only one bare bulb The second house had no running water and no electricity. This was home for nine people and many chickens and burros The third house had received assistance from the government for a new roof. There was also close knit extended family to help Guzman, Jalisco Mexico In Guzman, we met the Zapolans (indigenous people of Guzman) at the DIF center and presented at the cultural center. We were received by staffs of the center and the Mayor’s wife Apango – Elder Cowboy!! Local who came out to visit with us as we walked the streets Aging with dignity.. Bugambilias Adult Day Care Center in Guadalajara225 visitors daily. Bugambilias Adult Day Care with rehabilitation , clinic assessment by various professional, and senior center activities –pool table, dancing, singing , crafts, painting, computer lab, etc. Mercedes Martinez , Coordinator in Mexico. Everado Comacho leader of movement to establish graduate program in gerontology at ITESO. Discussing the future aging issues in Mexico with representatives from ITESO University Stan Ingman, UNT , Everado Comacho, Chair, Department of Psycholology, Health, Community at ITESO and Judith Anders, RN, UNT ITESO - Architecture is an art work that expresses space creatively and compels humanity toward perfection Colegio Once Mexico Symbols represent ancient Mayan number system, each bar equals five and the circle indicates one for a total of eleven Very intimate group of parents who care about their elderly and the future of their aging and how it will affect Mexico in the coming years Solar Panel Trial Run Learning how to put the solar system together prior to going to Apango.inverter, solar panel, fuse, battery, etc. Fall prevention demonstration by Charles Ewing . Some 50 residents from Sayula attended Pato our local assistant and colleague in Mexico explaining how the solar system works Session was held at the Community Hall at our hotel on Friday night All 11 graduate students sat up front to take questions and make presentations. Margaret Bate dressed in her tradition outfit from Cameron. Getting the audience involved Adrienne Jackson get audience up and exercising Installation day! Attaching to the roof It works!! Creating a rack to put solar panel on roof, using PVC pipe. Working together Soot covered from indoor cooking Seniors from 60 to over 100 meet with team at clinic in Apango. Question: How to live longer? As one lady said I am over 100. Not so how much. Ask my sister she is 98 ! It’s a boy!! New mother in first house. Team brought baby supplies for new mother and baby on Saturday. Two additional children in family . Six to Ten dollars per day for a day work in fields does not go far. We would like to thank all those that made this trip possible. Our Translator Frances Rizo Invaluable Partner Eduardo “Pato” Contreras Our Representative Mercedes & Alejandro Martinez Many Thanks to Veronique Ingman