Mission and Vision

Mission
Promote the holistic transformation of marginalized communities in Mexico.

Vision
We are a non profit organization which promotes sustainable changes, accompanying and empowering community leadership and local participation which transform the quality of life in marginalized communities, while maintaining values of service, compassion and justice. 

Values
Holistic Transformation
Participation
Service
Compassion
Justice

“We do not serve because we are transformed; rather we are transformed when we serve.”

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Amextra's History

Amextra was formed on July 4, 1984 by recently graduated Christian professionals. Before its official constitution, the group referred to itself as the Community Development Area of Intervarsity; it was under this name that the first programs were started in the Estado de Mexico with the indigenous group the Otomi, Oaxaca with the people group the Mixteca, and the Central Valleys and Small Canada with the accompaniment of CRWRC (Support Committee of the U.S. Christian Reformed Church).  They began to work, firmly believing in the idea that a transformational philosophy, “Change your way of thinking in order to change your way of living” and a participatory methodology were indispensable for the improvement of poverty in Mexico.

In 1985 Amextra established programs in Yucatan, Chiapas, Chalco and also a formal work relationship with the Lutheran Mission in order to reconstruct two neighborhoods in Mexico City which had been affected by the earthquake.

In 1986 Amextra defined its mission and work methods and began programs in Ajusco, in the Southern part of Mexico City.

In 1987 Amextra incorporated health components to its programs and also participated in a national forum on strategic agricultural and forestry programs with a specific area for instigating rural change based on leadership and farming experience.

In 1988 and 1989 an operational structure in order to establish management was formed and a fundraising campaign in the US was held.

From 1990 to 1992 Amextra joined various national and international networks in order to link itself to other nonprofit groups, began a basic relationship with the Mexican Government, and developed a strategic plan for the 90’s.

From 1992 to 1994 Amextra created a program in Morelos, and tax deducibility was obtained.

From 1995 to 2000 Amextra entered into a relationship with research centers from several universities. Relationships were also begun with new donors such as: Compassion Canada, Enterprise Development International, USAID, ALM, and TEARFUND. Relationships were renewed with the Kellogg Foundation, CRWRC and the national government. Fundraising projects such as the Immanuel Project were consolidated along with relationships with Partners in Hope and ELCA. Local leadership was developed as the first delegates were established. In response to Hurricane Paulina a program in Guerrero was started and the program in the North Sierra of Puebla was consolidated. The microfinance programs were formally established and strategic savings programs were defined. On a structural level community delegates were transitioning towards regional management, including direction for local fundraising teams.

In 2002 the Peace Education programs were begun.

In 2003 a strategic plan for the next 5 years was established, involving the executive board, donors, beneficiaries and operational staff.  As a consequence of this plan the communications/fundraising and training areas were established.  Plans were made to begin new programs in Lomas de San Isidro.  Amextra served as a co-organizer for the international Micah Network conference held in Mexico. 

In 2004 new programs were begin in the mountainous region of Guerrero. 

In 2005 the new program in Lomas de San Isidro, State of Mexico was begun. A new system for monitoring and evaluation at the institutional level was established and a new entity for receiving individual tax deductible donations in the U.S. was formed, Amextra, Inc. (501c3).

In 2006 Amextra held strategic planning sessions to create a plan for the next 10 years and define the strategic work areas.  A new organizational structure was formed and job descriptions were further defined. 

In 2007 Amextra formally began implementing strategies for program sustainability.  The topics of Gender Equity and Accompaniment in Personal Changes were also implemented in every organizational activity.  A new emergency relief project in Tabasco was begun in order to confront the damage done during flooding.

In 2008 Institutional Politics and an Ethics Code were officially established.  Self-sustainability for the programs in Xonacatlan, State of Mexico was achieved and the programs graduated.  An English school was begun in Ajusco in order to generate funds for the daycare center and work towards further sustainability.

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Methodology


Amextra’s work begins by enabling people to value themselves as people and empowering them to recognize their talents and resources, so that they recuperate their self esteem and commitment to their own transformation. In rural areas we work on basic production for corn, beans, eggs and vegetables.  In urban areas we promote improvement for educational levels, low cost nutrition, and child care so that mothers can find employment. We believe that the role of facilitator organizations like Amextra is to accompany so that structures of local organizations are strengthened in their mission and values, in personnel development, in the diversity of relationships and exchanges with other organizations, in planning capacities, evaluation (financing external evaluations), accountability, development of their own work philosophy, in supporting sustainability through small symbolic payments for services rendered or contacts with institutions which will support financially or with volunteers. 

Amextra has a development focus, which affects our work from the beginning all the way through our exit strategy.  The Amextra process promotes the transformation of communities, which leads to a spirit of entrepreneurship and takes several years.  The long term processes go through the following stages:

 

Principal Leadership

•Eugenio Araiza Bahena: Serves as Amextra’s current General Director.  He is a medical veterinarian with 25 years of experience in community work, active participant of an anabaptist church, professor in the Theological Community of Mexico and consultant for churches and organizations who run holistic service projects.  In community work he has begun and coordinated projects in the following areas: health, environmental, education, peace education, agriculture, daycare, holistic transformation, emergeny relief and microfinances in the states of Oaxaca, Ajusco in Mexico City, and Chalco Valley in the State of Mexico. As operations manager and urban director he managed projects in the southeast and center of the country and supported the development of two community centers.  He has the directive and managerial capacities, biblical theological, administrative and technical capacities to direct community transformation projects.   •Alejandra Castillo Roldán, is a Public Accountant with 16 years of experience in general accounting, fiscal and legal obligations for nonprofit institutions, and administration of functional areas like: human resources, finances, accounting, fiscal and material resources. She has held positions as Subdirector of Administration and Finances, Manager of Administration, and General Accountant. She has knowledge and experience in community work from two years in the Chalco Valley with responsibilities as a local promoter and administrator. She provides expertise for resource administration in the microfinance and educational projects. She has participated in training workshops on strategic planning, project administration, leadership, institutional values, financial planning, accounting principles, fiscal aspects, risk evaluation, and microfinance, promoted by AMEXTRA, Foundation Merced, School of Public Accountants from Mexico, Tearfund, University Anahuác of Mexico, Micah Network and University of the America of Puebla, among others. •Amado Sanchez Moreno is an Economist with 24 years of experience in activities from the social sector, initially working in different rural and urban areas of the public sector. He has participated in training activities with social and cooperative organizations. He has been involved in microfinance activities with private organizations from rural and urban areas since 1993. He has served as a consultant for establishing microfinance programs in different municipalities in the State of Mexico. He is currently the general Manager for the Amextra Microfinance programs in Chalco, Chiapas and Ajusco regions. •Verónica Vera, is a graduate in Psychology from the Autonomous University of Morelos. She is certified in educational therapy from TANESQUE, A. C. and in Infant Abuse from the Autonomous University of Morelos. She has official training as a community promoter from CED in Morelos and has taken different workshops on community health. She has 14 years of experience in community processes. She has served as a facilitator in the formation of three community daycare centers and has worked as a psychotherapist for women and children who are victims of sexual abuse and mistreatment for more than 10 years. She has worked with Amextra, A. C., a voluntary government organization SECOFI and private institutions such as Associate Francoise Dolto, Dabreis, and Tonatzin and as a private therapist. She has been a professor for the graduate certification on the Family at the Theological Community of Mexico for subjects such as domestic violence and community development for more than five years. She has also participated in national forums on children’s development and women's roles. She currently serves as Amextra’s Operations Manager.  •Ofelia Cinto Tehuizil is a Certified Public Accountant with professional experience since 1993 in general, commercial, industrial and non profit accounting.  She now covers different areas such as: payroll, fiscal obligations, treasury, and administration.  She has completed a Holistic Transformation Training Course through Amextra. •Pastor Rebeca González Torres is a graduate from the Evanglical Institute of Mexico in Biblical Theology and is certified in Pastoral Psychology from the Theological Community of Mexico.  She has taken diverse courses on Peace and Conflict Transformation and seminars on community development, child education, theological formation, and gender. She has 23 years of experience in holistic service with diverse organizations like World Vision and Mennonite Central Committee. Experience in the construction of service projects in Santa Cruz Tlapacoya, Ixtapaluca, in the State of Mexico where a community center for children was built. She has more than 15 years of experience as an educator. She was the coordinator for the Ministry of Service to our Neighbor with projects on disasters, peace education, and promoting service experiences in the Conference for Anabaptist churches in Mexico and Puebla for 4 years. Currently she also serves as pastor for the Anabaptist Mennonite Followers of Christ Church and as coordinator of the school for families in this same church. She currently serves as Amextra’s training coordinator. •Jennifer L. Allen has a degree in Literature from the University of California Santa Barbara, with a minor in history. She has international experience in management, training and teaching and is bilingual English/Spanish.  Since 2002 she has been serving as Amextra’s Communications and Fundraising Manager and has developed and implemented the communications and fundraising department. She has participated in two Grassroot leadership development forums in Thailand.  She has taught fundraising at the Mexican Theological Seminary for a methodological training course. She also currently serves as an executive committee member of volunteer board of directors for Partners in Hope.  She has experience as the assistant for the Seed Contribution program for a woman’s rights organization, Semillas. This also included organizing activities for the Women investing in Women’s network, reflection meetings using Myers Briggs Type Indicator materials and assisting the planning for John MacArthur scholarship holders. She was also a member of the team of leaders for Campus Crusade for Christ in Mexico, D.F.

 

Executive Board

• Francisco Sanchez: Presidente, BS in Marketing, Private Practice
• Wendy Alcantara: Vice President, B.A. in English, Librarian Thomas Moore College
• Nancy Trejo Martínez: Secretary, B.A. in Education, M.A. in Education Quality, Director of Preeschool.
• Miguel Vergara: Treasurer, B.S. in Architecture, Private Practice
• Isaías Chávez: Vocal, Agricultural Engineer, Community Project Consultant
• Teodosia Luciano Covarrubias: Vocal, Basic Education, Training in: Nutrition and administrative abilities.
• Sheyla Ramos: Vocal, B.S. in Economy, Student Consultant

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Social Recognition

Amextra forms part of the Program for Accounting Standardization and Transparency for MicroFinance Services. 
Frijol Tercio, cultivo de Cobertura en la Agricultura Chol del Valle de Tulija, Chiapas, Mexico, TIERRA Latinoamericana, Octubre-diciembre, vol. 16, Número 004, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo.

1993      Published Article, Transformation, An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies, “Personal Pilgrimage to the Development of the Mexican Association for Rural and Urban Transformation”, 1993 (Vol. 10, No. 3, Page 13)

1995      Echo Notas de Desarrollo, Ejemplar 50, Octubre 1995, Edited by Martin L. Price y Laura S. Meitzner.

2001      “Biodiversity conservation through agrodiversity”, Global Environmental Change, Volume 11, Issue 1, April 2001, Pages 97-101, Luohui Liang, Michael Stocking, Harold Brookfield and Libor Jansky.

2002       Authorities from the Tortuguero 1ª sección community, Salto de Agua, 2002, recognize Amextra for the work done in the community.
Delegación SEDESOL, Chiapas, 2002, provides recognition for the social work and participation that Amextra has done in their communities.
Secretaría de Hacienda, Subsecretaría de Ingresos, 2002, Validates Amextra’s 18 years of service and it’s social objective. 

2003       A Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework for Carbon-Mitigation projects: Putting "development" in the centre of decision-making, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Katrina Brown and Esteve Corbera, February 2003.
Authorities from the Tortuguero 2ª section community, Salto de Agua, 2003, recognize Amextra for the work done in their community.
Founder Dr. José Alcántara Mejia, Winner of the Wittenberd 2003 prize.
Secretary of Rural Development, Delegación Regional VI Selva, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo de Plantaciones, 2003, validates the work in the jungle region.
Secretary of Rural Development, Delegación Regional VI Selva, 2003, Validates health activities in the jungle region.

2006        Amextra AC. Is one of three finalists for the Eugenio Garza Sada 2006 Award.
El Trabajo de Amextra AC. Is included in Dispossessed, life in Our World’s Urban Slums, por Mark Kramer, Orbis Books 2006.

2007       “Chiapas Storm Relief Provides Urgent Food Aid”, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, by Beth DeGraff, published July 23, 2007.
Amextra AC. is one of five finalists for the Eugenio Garza Sada 2006 Award and receives Special Recognition.

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Logo  

The ancient Mexican glyph inspired by the ear of corn is the foundation of Amextra's logo. Corn occupies a central place in Mexican culture as a symbol of the goodness of creation. For millennia, it has always been present in the nation’s history, nutrition and daily life.   On the interior of the logo there is a building on the top half which is rising out of the exposed corn kernels on the bottom, representing the indigenous roots of contemporary Mexico and Amextra's commitment to urban and rural projects as a unifying response to Mexico’s social reality. Three circles crown the logo to symbolize Amextra's methodological approach and three main principles of local participation, holistic transformation, and unconditional service.  The oddly shaped circles on each side of the logo represent two other Amextra values: Justice and Compassion. 

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