Yo’onik Learning Center: Petrona is a mother of 3 and loves Yo'onik for many reasons...

My name is Petrona de la cruz Montejo.

I’m 39 years old and finished school through ninth grade. I have 3 children. My parents were only able to study through 4th grade. For a living, I arrange flowers. My husband taught me because he’s been arranging flowers since he was a child. Many people cultivate flowers in our community. 

I love it that my daughter to go to Yo’onik because she learns so much every time she goes. The teachers help them understand what they are learning in school and help them with their homework in Tsotsil, which is the language we speak at home.

Since she’s been attending Yo’onik, she has very good grades at school. And I’m so grateful to Yo’onik because helping all the children.  My husband and I know how important it is for our children to have more education than we did. We are able to understand this in our own lives since my husband and I have more education than our parents did.

We love being able to earn decent wages and be able to continue living in Zinacantán near our families.

We like Yo’onik because they encourage our children to continue speaking Tsotsil, the language of our ancestors. Yo'onik always has the children doing activities that will improve our community, like seeding and planting trees on the mountain!