September 4, 2008
For Jose Yañez and Xotchitl Sepulveda education begins at home, literally. Every day, in their living room and garage they teach dozens of people who don’t have an elementary school or junior high school degree.
“Our sofas disappeared. Instead we have benches and a board. In our garage, at night the car goes in, and in the morning I park it outside and start getting the classroom ready,” Jose says.
Their small home in the Colonia Salvarcar near Zaragoza has been modified into an adult school for those who never had a chance to get a basic education. Their students are poor people from the community and range between the ages of 13 to 55. Jose and Xotchitl have invested their own money into their school and don’t charge a single cent for the education they provide.
“When people come to us, they ask, what do we need to get in school? We answer; all you need is determination and strong will. We provide materials, books, copies, everything they need. There is no tuition or fees,” Xotchitl says.
In 2004, Jose and Xotchitl came up with a unique idea. They wanted to create a library in their home so that the kids and adults in their community would begin reading. They started asking friends and family for used books.
“We would have the first books we received stacked on the floor, but by word of mouth we had so many books we had to figure something out,” Jose says.
Luckily, a carpenter from their community donated a huge shelf. They named the library “Eloy Armenta” in his honor.
To this day they have more than 300 books. However, they discovered that some adults did not know how to read or write. That’s were a bigger idea that would change many lives came to mind.
“We created a school for adults as a way of giving back what was given to us. Education is the key to success,” Xotchitl says.
They named their school CICE, Centro de Intervención Comunitaria y Educativa. Most of the students that attend are maquiladora workers and stay at home mothers.
To this day, more than 70 people have graduated from CICE with official diplomas that help them get a job or simply achieve a long life dream.
“We don’t see it as 70 students have graduated, instead 70 families have graduated because each person who receives a degree is an example for their whole family,” Xotchitl says.
Jose and Xotchitl are both 33 years old and have been married for 15 years. When they got married they only had a high school degree. After 10 years of being parents, they decided to head back to school. In 2007, Xotchitl graduated with a university degree in education. Jose graduated as an industrial engineer. But Jose was so inspired with the results of their school that he decided to leave his job and head back to college to earn a second degree in education.
“We are the first ones in our families to ever go to college and earn a degree,” they say.
There are three teachers at their school: Jose, Xotchitl, and their 15 year-old daughter Mariana. She teaches adults how to read and multiply. Ernesto, their 13 year-old son, is the school’s janitor and graduation photographer.
“Ernesto gets up early and cleans the garage and then heads to school. Mariana gets home from school and starts preparing her classes. The four of us work every day as a team, as a family. We know we are making a difference and also teaching our kids the value of helping others,” Jose and Xotchitl say.
The first generation to graduate from CICE was very special for their family, “Among the first people to graduate were my parents who finally received their junior high degree,” Jose says.
Currently, 80 students are enrolled at CICE. Their graduation will be in September. The graduation is a special ceremony in which the guests dress up and everybody brings food and donates more books for the library.
“You see whole families together. The kids being proud of their fathers or mothers because they too finally have an elementary school degree, and the spouses supporting each other,” Jose says.
At the graduation, Jose and Xotchitl provide a special photograph to each of the graduates who are dressed in a graduation gown and hat.
“There’s a secret. All the graduates use the same gown for the picture, it belongs to Mariana our daughter, it’s the only one we have for now, but they all wear it proudly,” Jose says smiling.
Jose and Xotchitl don’t receive a salary at CICE. They both have full time jobs as teachers at different schools in Juarez to support their family. Jose is still in school finishing his second degree. CICE is open Monday through Sunday.
In their future plans, they hope to have health fairs and speakers at CICE, but their big dream is to create a second school were older people teach kids and teenagers.
“We want to have a Centro de Abuelitos. Were the elderly read to children, were they teach young people how to dance, how to play chess and tell them life stories. We have lost so much respect for elder people, but they are the best teachers anyone could have,” Xotchitl says.
Xotchitl was raised by her grandfather and she wants to do this as a tribute to him.
CICE does not receive any government funding or support from anyone but the people in their own community.
If you would like to donate books contact: xotchitl_spda@hotmail.com