In the heart of “Golden Triangle”, which integrates the mountain region of the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Durango, Not everything is drug trafficking, since it has prevailed for 12 yearsa rural school from preschool to telebaccalaureate and online university for more than 400 students of 18 communities in the municipalities of Guadalupe and Calvo, Tamazula and Badiraguato. César Martín Galindo, “the master of the mountain,” said in an interview that the idea arose in 2012 and the project, today, is unique in Latin America.
In the community of Santa Gertrudis, Badiraguato, Sinaloa there is a Rural Concentration School which has all educational levels in one place, in addition to having a hostel and cabins for the 13 teachers that teach each of the grades that make up the public school financed by the Government of Sinaloa.
Since 12 yearswith the purpose of serving a marginalized area such as the “Golden Triangle”, the project began because prior to it, the teachers who were assigned did not come, however, Martín Galindo, one of the initiators and now general coordinator, stated that the decision was install at that point.
For this, it required the construction of a shelter with all the infrastructure and that it had cabins that would be used as teachers’ dormitoriesin addition to the modules for teaching classes, a health home that now does not have a doctor.
César Martín Galindo, is known as “the mountain master”, in an exclusive interview he assures that they are close to 415 students those who attend different academic levelswhich belong to 18 communities of Guadalupe and CalvoChihuahua; TamazulaDurango and BadiraguatoSinaloa.
The initial grade is attended by about 40 students; preschool 22; primary 40 students; telesecundaria 30 and upper middle about 48, of which, 70 are from Sinaloa, 60 from Chihuahua and 50 from Durango.
Of the Upper level There are 53 students from Sinaloa, 80 from Chihuahua and 102 from Durango, all through Internet through six antennas from the Federal Electricity Commission and one more contracted one, which even provides a network to the entire community of Santa Gertrudis.
The university courses are through an agreement with the Autonomous Indigenous University of Mexico based in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, offering degrees in Preschool Education, Law, Gender Studies, Community Social Psychology and Biotechnology Engineering.
The general coordinator explained that, apart from the schoolhave a creation decree given that on November 18, 2015 they were authorized to have educational extension to support communities by managing and carrying out programs.
He reiterated that they are 13 teachers and himso at each level there is a director, a kitchen assistant and two people who support him by making the food.
He added that each teacher is clear that philosophy is learn bigsince everyone who arrives at the institution is emphasized on excellence with the curriculum but also contribute with a project that impacts the community, some of which have already been worked on, as he stated.
He said that, among them, is the environmental sanitationcleaning stones, the high school students have carried out a project, because if a woman lives alone in the most remote towns they come and carry the pantry, if they do not have a latrine they make one for her, they have built bridges in the streams, palapas in the educational institution, fences at school, reforestation campaigns, among others.
He stated that all students are told about the impact of study and educate, having a career, being prepared to leave that region and compete in the world of the best, that is instilled in them. He cited as an example 30 students who have left high school who are now Agricultural Engineers, graduates in Education or even others are Pilots.
He pointed out that they are the only school to raise four flags on the monumental flagpoles when carrying out honors or large events, being the Flag of Mexico, the coat of arms of Sinaloa, the coat of arms of Chihuahua and the coat of arms of Durango, since 5 minutes from the school is the central point Cueva Gacha where the three states converge.
“We are very focused on every Monday and every day of the week, we talk to them about the values so that young people and children can be good people. My job is to be the manager to look for support in the city, you have to come look for the programs so that you can inform yourself and convince them to take them there, it is a difficult task, I go and when I come I take all the food from the shelter and that everything flows according to the plan, since I verify everything, I continue looking for support”said the master of the mountain.
He explained that in the region where they are located, these towns are served, the children go by motorcycle, which used to be on foot for one or two hours, and all those who are from further away stay in the hostel Monday to Friday, the same as what they offer service about 80 students.
“Apart from seeing the official curriculum and respecting the third constitutional article, we wanted the students to take the universal civic, ethical and moral values, by which it is known that the governance of small towns like these occurs.“, he explained.
When asked if all students are nativesstated that he was not like that, since those who are, it is difficult for them to no longer want to be, the same thing that happens in the different regions due to the issue related to discriminationif they have Rarámuri and Tepehuan students, however, they no longer wear their typical costume and even no longer want to speak their language.
He added that to avoid the above, he will very soon be presenting a project to perfect Spanish, but also to include within it so that they maintain their native languages. “They don’t talk about it because they are afraid of being bullied.”.
According to him, on one occasion scholars in the field came to analyze the model, reaching the conclusion that in all of Latin America it is the only project of its kind and there are two similar schools, one in Colombia that does not have initial education and another in Chile that does not have a telebaccalaureate, however, there is no other where the entire educational spectrum is concentrated in a single area.
Drone piloting, a dream for students
The master of the mountain announced a program that is planned with the race in the upper middle of drone pilotingwhich consists of a budget of 150 thousand pesos for equipment with a 3D printer, drones of different sizes and 3 masters.
According to Galindo, with the previous one it would allow the graduated students to apply their knowledge in the tourism and agriculture or any other question of progress in the area, in which they are the owners of tire shops, cabins, tourist guides, mechanical workshops, value of peaches and apples, so that great businessmen can be established, but in the meantime, to empower them so that they have a heritage within the region.
“We have been very criticized because they tell me that I want to take drones to the drug traffickers, however, that is not the case, they are for the progress and productivity of the area, tourism is coming, a tourist who comes with his family to take photos, one of my students contact him and with some panoramic views he earns some amount of money to support the family”.
He presented another example that in the orchards of the federal program “Sowing Life“, instead of fumigating with the typical backpack, a drone will replace, as in the forest fires They send the drone and check where it started and where it can be attacked.
Or in the same way, a rancher explained that he does not locate his cow, instead of going to look for it, he sends the drone and sees if the cattle are okay, or a mechanic who tells him that a car broke down on the Badiraguato-Parral highway, He sends the drone to find out what the situation is, checks what is needed and avoids a double turn and leaves with what is needed.
“Science and advanced technology that serves people who have never had anything, who say they are going to use it for bad things, they already have it, they don’t need us to bring it. Job opportunities are not enough, however, with the Badiraguato-Parral highway, a range of opportunities opened up.“, he said
He thanked the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, and the Secretary of Education of the same entity, Graciela Domínguez, for their support.
Carved on a log From a typical tree of the region such as the tascate, there is the name and photograph of Mr. Mario Vázquez Raña in gratitude for having contributed to the construction of six classrooms and the installation of modules for anti-bullying bathrooms.
He explained that these toilets do not have an exterior door, but rather they are cubicles inside that do have a door and the urinals do not, since in this way something murky can be detected.
Agreement between legislators from the three states
In July 2022, with the aim of removing the stigma of violence in the areas where the states of Durango, Sinaloa and Chihuahuabetter known as the “Golden Triangle”, deputies from the three states met in Sinaloa.
At the initiative of the representative of Sinaloa, Luz Verónica Avilez Rochin, and the representative of Chihuahua, Noel Chávez Velázquez, the first formal meeting of the meeting of the three legislatures in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa.
The proposal of the Deputy Coordinator of the PRI Parliamentary Group in the State of Chihuahua, Noel Chávez Velázquez, beyond the stigmatized name of the area, focused on the generation of development such as the lack of health services, educational infrastructure, generation of employment and the strengthening of timber products, as well as the environment and, above all, employment generation.
The president of the Jucopo of Sinaloa, deputy Feliciano Castro Melendrez, recognized the initiatives of the Coordinator of the PRI of Chihuahua, Noel Chávez and the president of the Sinaloa Tourism Commission, Verónica Rochin, for landing these work tables.
Between the agreements The drafting committee was formed to prepare the manifesto of the work to be carried out by the different legislatures and the next meeting was scheduled for August 8 of this year to then hold a great meeting of the legislatures in which it is intended to integrate the Executive Branch of each state and present the corresponding initiatives for the well-being of the population of the region of the now named triangle of kindness.
Originally published in The Sun of Parral