Children in Oaxaca are joining the playful, participatory activities organized by the Directorate of the Historic Center and Heritage of the Municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez to identify and value their local heritage, as part of UNESCO’s cash for work component, made possible with the funding of the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The initiative, named as Guardianes del Patrimonio (Guardians of Heritage) delivers meaningful learning experiences to motivate its participants—initially girls and boys—to recognize and care for their cultural heritage: the material heritage as well as the intangible cultural heritage, that is, the knowledge, practices, and bonds that sustain the identity and cultural diversity of communities.
…from an early age, girls and boys can recognize that cultural heritage isn’t foreign or distant, but part of everyday life. By learning about it, understanding it, and appreciating it, they become essential allies in its protection, strengthening the identity of Oaxaca.
Felipe Eduardo Barajas Mendoza, Director of the Historic Center and Heritage of Oaxaca de Juárez.
The programme brought girls and boys together, free of charge, in activities built around a tour of the Historic Center of Oaxaca during the summer of 2026. The project is now expanding its reach to more than 300 girls and boys from five primary schools in the midtown and its outskirts, so they can deepen their knowledge and appreciation of Oaxaca’s cultural heritage.
