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New opportunity to design and engineer appropriate technology in Mexico Design, Engineer, and Implement Appropriate Technology for Farming Amaranth in Rural Communities in Oaxaca, Mexico www.puentemexico.org Background Puente a la Salud Comunitaria’s (Bridge to Community Health: Puente) mission is to contribute to food sovereignty and advance the health and economic wellbeing of rural communities in Mexico by promoting the cultivation, consumption, and commercialization of amaranth. Amaranth is a plant native to Mesoamerica that is uniquely positioned to address the high rate of malnutrition in rural Oaxaca. It is one of the few vegetables where both the seeds and leaves are edible, and both are loaded with nutrients. Owed to the relatively high market price of amaranth, not only does the program impact the nutritional wellbeing of these communities, but also aims to create income generation activities, and thus advance community sustainability and food sovereignty. The Challenge Puente currently has intern positions available in rural communities ranging from one to three hours from the office headquarters in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. Puente is offering a unique opportunity to students to learn about rural, indigenous communities and agricultural systems in Oaxaca first hand. The interns will come up with an innovative, community and participation-based approach at developing appropriate technology to process amaranth for family consumption and larger volume processing. Participation is one of the core principles of Puente. Puente believes that by involving participants in the process, from diagnosis to evaluation, we can ensure both the pertinence and the impact of our programs. Engineers will work with the community members and Puente’s agriculture technicians to come up with the best possible technologies, created from local resources, to transform amaranth seeds into a healthy food alternative and a sustainable source of income. Our goal is to be able to provide alternative, affordable solutions to the communities. Qualifications and Preferences Puente is looking for candidates who are enthusiastic about sustainable development and agricultural technology. Puente’s participatory approach requires that the volunteers must keep in mind the needs, experiences and expected outcomes expressed by our participants when developing the technology. Creativity, a willingness to exchange ideas, and a strong technical background are all key qualifications for our candidates. Puente’s staff and the community members are primarily Spanish speaking and therefore Spanish-speaking skills are preferred. We do have bi-lingual staff that is available to support. Time Constraints 2-3 months in the summer of 2010 Contact Students interested in developing projects around these ideas should contact Peter Noll, Executive Director, at [email protected] or call +52 951 518 6642.
