By Lynn Holdridge

All about Bacaanda

The Bacaanda Foundation/El Sueño Zapoteco A.C. is a Huatulco volunteer organization founded in 2008. It supports low-income people, typically in small, more remote communities in our area of Oaxaca. The Foundation works in coordination with CONAFE (National Council for Education Promotion), reaching more than 3,000 students and 300 teachers in the Santa María Huatulco and Pochutla area. Together, the partnership serves 300 schools in eight municipalities. Bacaanda helps to renovate older and build new schools, and provides teacher quarters, bathrooms, and basic playground equipment. in these communities. The Foundation’s multi-level Intelligent Rural Schools initiative provides donated iPads linked by Bluetooth to Smart TVs at Level 1; Level 2 provides more iPads, as Bacaanda has observed a correlation between iPad availability and student learning progress.

At Level 3, the Foundation adds connectivity. This is a major undertaking as remote villages rarely have any available internet. Bacaanda has been building a private network to distribute an internet signal through a series of towers that reach the schools. It has taken the incredible generosity of multiple donors, including groups from Montecito Beach Village and Punta Arrocito in Huatulco. The Foundation is now working to use the newly available Starlink satellites to increase bandwidth at larger schools; once the costs of upfront equipment and the monthly subscription have been paid, these schools can achieve full streaming capability. Bacaanda has also installed Starlink capability at both teacher training centers (Santa María and Pochutla), serving 100 teachers at each center.

And now, the Dream Festival!

The first Festival del Sueño/the Dream Festival was held in 2015 as a community event to raise awareness of the Bacaanda Foundation and the work they do in our rural communities. Many people, local and foreign, knew very little about the Bacaanda Foundation’s efforts toward providing better, in some cases even basic, education for the children in our rural areas. While the main purpose was to raise awareness, we also wanted to make it fun for everyone. There is authentic entertainment provided by the rural children and other local groups, Huatulco’s only Dunk Tank, games and activities for children, and over 30 local artisans showcasing a wide variety of crafts, keeping 100% of their sales.

Come and Win Big!

You can win LOTS of raffle prizes – there are several raffles: he Hourly, the Big, the Multi-draw, and the 50/50. Raffle prizes are all donated by local businesses. You have a chance to win dinners, stays at hotels, artisan creations, tours of our area, and much more.

You can win at food and beverage prizes at games like Mexican Lotería, Wheel of Coffee, and Bee Catch. There is an Early Bird Prize chosen from the tickets purchased in advance, and a Grand Prize chosen from all tickets sold.

Want to Work? Lots of People Do, It’s Lots of Fun!

This event would not be possible without the help of over 100 volunteers who donate their time planning, organizing, and working before, during, and after the event. If you would like to make Festival del Sueño/the Dream Festival an ongoing success, please contact Lynn Holdridge, Festival Chair, at l.d.holdridge@gmail.com.

Whether you live in or are just visiting Huatulco, the Festival is a wonderful opportunity for all to learn about the Bacaanda Foundation and its efforts to provide educational supports in the rural area. For more insight/information please visit https://www.bacaanda.org/ , or approach any of the Team Members at the Bacaanda tent at the Festival. To live in a community, one should know about it. We hope you will attend on Saturday, January 28, 2023, from 5-10:00 pm in Guelaguetza Park located next to Marina Park Plaza.

A big thank you – and welcome – from the Dream Festival’s Planning Team!