Hainica News · Community and Education
A tribute from Toronto to Rina Margarita Arellano Vallejos, a teacher from Cauquenes whose life brings together education, music, family and community service.
By Ned Quintana and Fernanda Cerecera
Dear people of Cauquenes,
Today, we celebrate Rina Margarita Arellano Vallejos: a teacher who devoted years of her life to education, supporting others and helping dreams become possible. This tribute grows out of family memories and recognition of a life that deserves to be remembered and shared.
Rina has told me so many stories about you that, even from far away, I have come to know something of Cauquenes through her eyes. In those conversations, her neighbours, students and the people who shaped her life come into view. So does her particular way of seeing others: with attention, affection and a willingness to help.
A life devoted to teaching and care
I remember her as a woman who founded a group for people with disabilities; as someone who waited patiently in the bank queue even when she was entitled to priority service; and as a teacher who climbed stairs to reach her students despite the physical difficulties she faced.
Her story includes using two walking sticks and an orthopaedic boot. These supports are part of her experience, alongside her vocation, her choices and her work. In telling her story, we want to recognise both her perseverance and the barriers she encountered, as well as every person’s right to the support they need.
A founder in earlier years and a source of care today, Rina holds a distinctive place in our family. Her continuing community work is connected to Omani Neûmen Vitae Chora Centre in Toronto, where, according to the information provided for this tribute, she serves as a director.
“Ella es mi madre”: preserving a life story
I wrote Ella es mi madre—She Is My Mother—to honour her journey and preserve the stories she has shared with us. The book follows her childhood in Cauquenes and her experiences in Santiago during Chile’s military dictatorship, with music, teaching and family woven throughout the narrative.
Its pages hold achievements, adversity and inner struggles. They also hold vulnerability: the part of our lives that is often left out of tributes, yet allows us to recognise ourselves in one another. Telling Rina’s story means making room for that full humanity.
Life often moves faster than our ability to understand one another. As children and parents, we may find ourselves navigating criticism, differences and unfinished conversations. Writing creates a place to listen, remember and understand. From Toronto, we seek to preserve these connections across distance and share them with those who also belong to our history.
The publishing project we are building seeks to carry that memory forward, giving continuity to voices, recollections and experiences that might otherwise be lost.
A legacy that reaches into the community
The author’s stated intention is to direct the proceeds from sales of Ella es mi madre to Omani Neûmen Vitae Chora Centre in support of its community work, particularly with people with disabilities and autistic people.
Our purpose is to help people participate with dignity, autonomy and appropriate support. We also want to stand alongside families and caregivers, so that responsibilities can be sustained with resources and community. Each person’s individuality deserves a place in our shared life.
For us, this tribute is a way to give thanks and to continue her work. The education, music and care Rina has shared remain present in what we do and in the stories we hope to preserve.
A greeting from afar
We send a warm greeting to Cauquenes and, especially, to Rina, who loves dark chocolate. If someone can congratulate her on our behalf and bring her a little of that chocolate, it will carry a gesture of affection from those of us who are far away.
Distance may separate our cities, but we continue to find ways to show the love we feel for one another.
Ned Quintana and Fernanda Cerecera
Co-founders
About this tribute: Based on family testimony and information provided by Ned Quintana. References to the book and the intended use of its proceeds describe the project as presented by its author.
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