#EoF: the stories - Mexico: after the death of her first child from a bad illness, she founded an association to help those in a similar situation
by Maria Gaglione
published in Avvenire on 22/03/2022
Becoming a mother marked a before and an after in Nayeli Pereznegrón Galindo's life. “I don't just want to leave a better world for my children, I want to leave better children for our world.” Young Mexican lawyer Nayeli concludes our interview with these words, but they actually represent the starting point of her journey into the world of activism and collective action. Nayeli lives in the state of Cohauila, Mexico, with her husband and two of her three children. The first, Luis Pablo, died of cancer at a tender age. The pain, the difficulties, two years of treatments became the inspiration to set up the foundation “Luchando por ángeles pequeños” (in English: Fighting for little angels), which provides support and assistance to families (especially in economically disadvantaged situations) with children suffering from cancer: travel, accommodation, psychological assistance, accessibility to care and treatment, etc. It was this experience she had gone through with her son that made Nayeli discover her calling to be a changemaker.
The term changemaker refers to all those people who work to bring about positive changes in our society, mostly social entrepreneurs and activists. And this is precisely the definition she identified with in 2019, when Pope Francis invited economists, entrepreneurs and changemakers to start a movement of young people to think about and implement a new economy, one that leaves no one behind: the Economy of Francesco. And so Nayeli joined to be part of this movement, which – let us remember – gathers young people from over 120 countries around the world. Nayeli became one of its animators. Since then, she has organised initiatives and taken part in seminars and training schools. One of her most recent experiences was taking part in the first EoF Summer School, held in Gubbio, Italy, in August 2021. “The Summer School was not only an opportunity for academic training and study, but a broader cultural experience. In Gubbio I met people with whom I had worked virtually and people of different faiths, thanks to whom I was also able to better understand Pope Francis' latest encyclical, Fratelli tutti. I met young scholars from different disciplines, who reminded me how important it is to work for a common goal,” explains Nayeli. And that's not all. “During those days I was also thinking about the fundamental role that education and training play in the development of a people, and which, unfortunately in Mexico, as in so many other Latin American countries, continues to be a wound and a challenge for society as a whole.” Nayeli then tells us that her experiences during these three years at EoF have allowed her to become more involved on another front, as a counsellor for young working women. “In recent years, I have also been writing books and editorials; I study theology and I offer personal assistance to parents who have lost their children to cancer.” “I want to leave this world better than it is now, for my children, for Luis Pablo who is looking down on me from heaven,” Nayeli concludes. “I think of them in everything I do, they are the ‘driving force’ that helps me do things differently. The Economy of Francesco is linked to life. I am not an economist, but as a changemaker I am among the many young people who are committed to making the world a better place.” Beyond the myth of the lone hero, changemakers remind us of the value of ‘doing things together’. After “Todo va a ester bien” (in English: Everything is going to be alright) dedicated to her little Luis, Nayeli is about to publish her second book, as she prepares to attend EoF’s next event in Assisi.