Alejandra Ríos Pérez, Field Program Coordinator

PSYDEH’s dynamic staff is one of the reasons why we are a paradigm-changing Mexican grassroots organization.  

Our team is much more diverse than our peers, with people from all over the world representing diverse professional backgrounds. Having a multi-disciplinary team is by design; it is one of our Value Propositions. We thrive because of the diversity of our staff, partners, and allies. 

We hope you enjoy this personal interview with Alejandra Ríos Pérez, Field Program Coordinator.

What did you study in college or in life? How do you explain your career and professional interests?

I studied a Bachelor’s Degree in Planning for Agricultural Development at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), this career is multidisciplinary because you can develop as a specialist in agricultural production issues, researcher, or as a designer, however, its main focus is planning that involves the diagnosis, design, implementation, and evaluation of the processes that involve the rural environment. My professional interests lie in working with Civil Society Organizations, Security and food sovereignty of vulnerable groups, Strengthening Indigenous communities and gender.

What languages do you speak?

 I speak Spanish and have basic knowledge of ñhañhu.

What do you like most about Mexico?

I like many things, but I think I can encompass it by saying that what I like the most is cultural diversity. I consider this element the key to give us all the wonders that manage to capture sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell, I love to know that all people are a mixture of interconnected stories.

Who is the woman you admire the most and how has she impacted your life?

I can’t decide between my mom or my sister, so I’ll say that both of them, for her strength and ability to change. Their presence has impacted my life to remind me that the best way to live this life is learning from what happens to us.

Why did you decide to invest in PSYDEH and its work?

Since my university life, it was clear to me that my education could help to diminish (even a little) the social inequalities in which the population of San Bartolo lives, the municipality where my mother is from; for a long time I was trying to get involved in a CSO that worked in this municipality, however, it had not happened until now. Being in PSYDEH is for me an opportunity to contribute to generate social transformations that are born from the peasant/rural/Indigenous ideology not only of San Bartolo but also of the Otomi-Tepehua Region.

What impact do you want to make with PSYDEH?

As the Field Program Coordinator, the impact I seek is to establish planning processes in the implementation of PSYDEH’s programs, which contribute to generate a culturally relevant and far-reaching work, where the standard of living of women and their families in a historically marginalized territory is raised.