Esther Salazar Velázquez, Mazahua woman, state youth award 2022studied Health at the Intercultural University, where he managed to edit a book on medicinal plants where he reflects the healing benefit of 106 specimens from the two Mazahua towns of the State of Mexico.
She stressed that she always carries in her memory how her mother cured her with traditional plants, thanks to all those remedies that her people used.
They present a book on medicinal plants of Mazahua peoples
The 27-year-old, originally from Saint Philip of Progressmanaged to win one of the 33 state youth awards.
Interviewed, she said, “I came to this career because of my mother, since she used plants since she was little and when they treated me, they did it with medicinal plants, because there were no doctors nearby and there was no money to take us to be cured” .
That’s why, when I studied, I saw this degree and I said to myself, “This is for me and I’ll enter the race.”
He commented that one of the axes that he has worked on the most with his colleagues is traditional medicine and they produced a book called “Medicinal Flora”, from two Mazahua communities in the State of Mexico.
“This book made me the winner of that Grand Prize and because we capture everything about traditional medicine,” she commented.
It is written in the Mazahua language and in Spanish, “because we want to rescue our traditional medicine, above all, our language, which is being lost in the communities.”
She admitted that it was very difficult to study for a degree, because her father told her “what are you studying for? As a woman, what you are going to dedicate yourself to is caring for your children.”
It was difficult, “because all the women in my community get married between the ages of 14 and 18, I didn’t want to continue that life, I wanted to improve myself and have something else for myself.”
Esther commented that this was what motivated her, “especially my mother, who always said that she could achieve something more, that she had not been able to achieve at the time.”
There are many girls from the Mazahua community who have studied “Languages and culture, nursing, intercultural communication and that is the goal, to continue encouraging these women to continue studying,” she said.
This specimen won one of the 2022 state youth awards
There is progress for women, he said, “today women are already concerned about studying in the community and we hope they continue to do so.”
He said that the State Youth Award 2022is a recognition for the work we do every day for the development and progress of your community.
That is why he invited young people to continue growing personally and professionally, and that this be the beginning of many achievements, without forgetting the commitment to inspire new generations to fulfill their dreams.
Finally, he invited the youth to continue weaving their dreams despite the obstacles.
SPM