Since the Colonial era, the indigenous communities of Chiapas have been isolated, and have suffered from slavery, racial discrimination, land seizures, and lack of education and health services. Those who have protested have often been persecuted or killed, giving rise to the popular Zapatista movement. These conditions in the highlands have also led to depression, family conflict, and alcoholism, which in turn contribute to the high incidence of rape and domestic violence.

FOMMA works with Mayan women who have been forced by such conditions to migrate to the city, where they try to support themselves and their children as servants or street vendors. They frequently live on the street, without access to public assistance or education, and some may be trapped in a vicious circle of alcoholism, drug addiction, exploitation, and poverty. Founded by women who had experienced this life themselves, FOMMA provides food, education, and basic skills-building, so that the women may find better paying jobs, build self esteem, and adapt more easily to city life. Participants learn to write in their own languages, and stage theater performances that enable them to analyze their reality and work to improve their lives. There are also creative workshops and meals programs for the preschool children of participants. The Martín-Baró Fund’s award this year will continue to support production of the plays through which the women and children share their concerns with their communities, make connections between their problems and widespread human rights issues, and explore creative means for addressing their needs.