The Oaxaca Project

OFEA website: https://www.ofea.info/

For more information contact: debra@ofeanfp.org

• Oaxaca Foundation for Education and the Arts(OFEA) is a US based non for profit organization focused both on educating ( in the broadest definition of the word) and supporting children and economically disadvantaged families in Oaxaca, Mexico; one of the poorest states of Mexico. 
• Student volunteers can help out remotely or take a trip to Oaxaca through OFEA's residential programs to make their own individual impact.

Read below for more information!

What inspired the creation of OFEA?

Debra and Victor Tenorio opened their home to a group of disadvantaged children during the pandemic. They transformed a bungalow into a make shift schol, with social distancing. They ofered freeinternet, use of computers, tutoring to older childrenn hwo tutored younger chldren, healthy snack and printing services.  After the pandamic , they realized that they could and should be doing more on a regular basis to give back and support their community. 

Both are patrons of the art, with Victo being a serious art collector of Oaxan works of all types—paintings, sculpture, statues, allebrijes, etc. They decided to incorporate art into their foundation, promotiing local artists and exhibitions. 

To expand OFEA’s impact, They host stuents and adults from other coutries as one of their programs. Programs include: community service of many types ( working with children, animals, clean water, etc. ), cultural excursions, creating art catologues, working with and learning from local yet famous artists. 

What is the mission behind OFEA?

Our mission is to empower individuals and communities by championing access to quality education and the transformative power of the arts. We invest in innovative programs, foster creative expression, and support lifelong learning to cultivate a more informed, inspired, and inclusive society.

⁠How can inspired students join OFEA and make their own impact?

www.ofea.info/

Students can assist remotely or by coming to Oaxaca. 

Remotely- students can raise and donate money to support issues of interest to them, collect used clothing ( prom type dress are greatly appreciated!), toys (Legos are a hit and help in education), small kitchen items,etc. We can transport items from the US to Oaxaca .  

Students ( and families) can pay to come and stay at our compound just outside the city of Oaxaca. It is a quiet, beautiful location with 5 bunglows—internet, kitchens, living rooms, a shared solar heated pool, exercise room, and a community garden where we teach gardening and composting. Student (and families) can do a variety of service projeccts ranging from teaching English to 5th graders, teaching hygeine and nutrition, working in feld of art, and the list goes on. 

We run residential programs year round to family and students’ schedules. Ecellent times to come are during schol breaks in the US. We include all meals and cultural excursions. 

What has OFEA recently accomplished?

We are sponsoring our first university student! Ita, 19 years old, is the first in her family to complete high school and is now in her first year of university studying tourism. 

We trucked a mountain of good dirt into the OFEA’s lot, leveled if off and started our community garden and composting project. Many families live off of beans and tortillas, and a cup of coffee for each meal. We are teaching the ease of gardening and composting—weather is beautiful year round here! The produce is distributed to disadvantaged families and, of course, those who come to learn and work. Our first HUGE crop was radishes- many the size of baseballs. Lettuce and cucumbers are coming in!

What goals does OFEA have for the rest of 2025?

Our next objective is to promote female painters of Oaxaca. Supported by the "Guenda" collective, a Zapotec word meaning "Origin," they are a group of artists of undeniable talent. They all have careers locally and nationally, and some internationally. "Visual Evocations of the Boom in Latin America Literature" is the new project. Ten artists from "Guenda" along with a guest artist will create 3 canvases each based on world famous novels by authors of the aforementioned phenomenon. 

The movement reached its peak with the publication in 1991 of the novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude." by the Columbian writer and Nobel Prize winner for Literature Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The project is ambitious but we have no doubt of its success. 

The Garden Project will, of course, continue as we identify the best plants for each season. 

What do student trips to Mexico offer the students in Oaxaca? How are they making an impact?

Students make a great impact by coming and helping in Oaxaca. They serve as role models and mentors to the children here. Some students make an impat by teaching English to chldren at the end of grade 5 or during grade 6. English is essential for the childrenn t succeed, and it is not begun until grade 7 here. 

They teach the children the children the importance of good nutrition and what means. The Gardening Project helps children learn how easy it is here to have a low cost, nutritious diet that is also tasty. Hygeine is also something the children learn. Many children have never used a tooth brush and paste, much less dental floss. 

Helping reduce garbage as well as the disposal of garbage is another area of concentration. Students teach the children about recycling, how to repurpose goods, the value of donating items regardless of economic status and how each person can make a diference in the world. 

What are the values of OFEA? What kind of volunteers are you looking for that align with those values?

Our values are strengthening community bonds, fostering personal growth , improving physical and mental health and developing practical skills. We foster interet and suport for the arts and artists. 

We see all volunteers as aligning with those values. They are people who have chosen to use their free time and skills with helping others and making a change in the world.