Tepoztlán /Patrimonito

Participation Fee: $2700 mexican pesos or 150 Euros Includes food, accommodation and administration costs.
PROJECT DETAILS: The Patrimonito project is part of the World Heritage Program implemented by UNESCO’s
World Heritage Center in cooperation with the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service. Patrimonito integrates international workcamps as a means to raise awareness fo the local population about the importance of protecting their local heritage, to demonstrate the value of non-formal education and to create spaces for cooperation between the World heritage managers and the local population. The 2013 Patrimonito edition proposed by VIMEX comprises workcamps in 8 out the 14 ex –convents situated in the Slopes of the Popocatepetl volcano and Tepoztlán is one of them. The former convent of the Nativity was built under the orders of Dominican friars who arrived in Tepoztlan mid-sixteenth century. In 1580 the convent was working and remained in the hands of the Dominicans until 1773, when it was delivered to the secular clergy as a result of the Bourbon Reforms of the late eighteenth century. The fleur de Liz symbol of this order can be seen even in the engravings of this convent. Tepoztlán is one of the two Magic Villages in the region of Morelos.
WORK: Volunteers will participate in the implementation of actions to sensitize the local population to the importance of preserving their heritage through painting workshops, with the children of the village, as well as a summer workshop and youth activities in the community puppet shows, drawing among others. Parallel improvement work is carried out of the building, particularly in the atrium under the guidance of a professional restorer. Also carried out actions will be done to identify and value the intangible heritage of this region together with the members of a local association which tries to preserve the villages traditions and inmaterial patrimoniy alive. Through environmental awareness activities, volunteers organize cleanups around the building and nearby.
In addition, the volunteers are going to take part in activities such as:
A guided tour to Tepoztlan´s Ex Convento
They will visit a museum and a temazcal.
A presentation of the culture and heritage of the places of origin of the children and youth volunteers. Volunteers are going to take part in the craft fair and in the Amatlan´s fair preparations, the elaboration of the arc made of seeds.
They are going to visit different people of the community in order to learn how to make tortillas, and visits to fields and the craftsman, as well as Chinelo´s  masks and baking bread.
Volunteers will have a meeting with the Council of Elders in the village.
ACCOMMODATION: Lodging will be  in a house in the village.
LOCATION: Tepoztlan is located 1 hour from  Mexico City.
NEAREST STATION: Tepoztlan, Morelos.
FOOD: Meals will be prepared by volunteers. It has everything you need to cook and care for the food.
LANGUAGE: Speaking Spanish will be welcome in order to get in touch with the Mexican people.
REQUIREMENTS: Good disposal to the team work, dedication, be responsible and enthusiastic to work. Bring clothes according with the activities. Please bring your own insurance and sleeping bag.
FREE TIME: The volunteer will have the opportunity to visit historical and tourist places of greater relevance in Mexico such as the Convent Route, Route de Zapata, the archaeological sites of Xochicalco and Chalcatzingo and the magical town of Tepoztlan. Walks with local young people, excursions will also be part of the free time program.
REMARK: You can take the Intensive Spanish Course that we offer to the volunteers in our camps before to go to your camp. See the information and conditions at the section of the Spanish Courses 2013.
The meeting point will be at the VIMEX office before the camp starts because all the volunteers will go together to the project