First of all a BIG MUCHAS GRACIAS to The Strathcona Sunrise Rotary, The Cumberland Rotary, Comox Valley Dodge and all the wonderful people of the Comox Valley B.C. who made this possible  (you know who you are).  This started with an idea to help support a sewing cooperative (The Bag Ladies) who are in the very poor area near the dump in Pt. Vallarta.  Before this idea was barely conceived a van was donated along with enough sewing machines fabric, etc to fill a small warehouse.  Terry Nielsen from the Strathcona Rotary, who had visited me in Mexico  last year was kind  enough to not only help organize this adventure, but also took take time off work and help drive the van .

Two days later we are in Santa Cruz Ca. with a loaded van.   We were just in time  to attend a fundraiser for my good friend Ken Kimes who had recently lost his hand in a farming accident.  After a great visit  we were out the door to San Diego where we camped before crossing the border at Tijuana .   From there we planned to drive through Baja and take the ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan.

To say the least there was some confusion when we got to the border at Tijuana.  We were waved through by a frantic border guard and motioned  not to stop.  We thought that down the road we were going to  be stopped to get our tourist visa and car permit, but no such luck and next the thing  we knew we were stuck in the middle of the desert for the night.  Things did not look good  so we phoned the ferry in La Paz to see what we needed (and hadn’t gotten in Tijuana).   We were soon  told we were going no where until we got our visas and van permits and we better get down to La Paz and get this  straightened out as the ferry left in two days.  Speedy Gonzales could not have done better 1000 kms in 12 hours and all we had to give up was a bolt of blue cloth at an army check point so they could put it on the windows of their hut to try and keep the wind and dust out (I was little leary about taking a photo as they were carrying machine guns).

The next day (ferry leaving day ) we went to immigration where after a FUN half day we were fined $100 each for being in Mexico illegally.  Ferry time was getting close and we still had the permit people and customs people to deal with but lady luck was on our side as a very nice woman who would have liked to come to PV with us gave us our car  permit.  No Problema.  Our last hurdle was Customs where  it was the old press the button and see if it is green (you go ahead) or red (you get searched); about a 1 in 20 chance.  I said to the lady as I walked up to the button “Siempre Rojo para mi” ( It is always red for me), she laughed and sure enough  we were looking at RED.  She could not believe it and gave us a BIG Smile and waved us thru.

It was a great  15 hour trip over on a pretty deluxe ferry and the ocean was flat calm except for the dolphins everywhere spoiling the view   After landing we only had 7 hours of slow windy roads into  Pt. Vallarta.

Terry checking out the local bus.

First, Terry Nielsen from the Courtenay Rotary club had been in Mexico for nearly 2 weeks and really wanted to see what was happening with the rural Mexican schools we had been helping for the past 7 years.  Terry and I met up as soon as I landed in Puerto Vallarta and early the next morning we set off on a tour of Cabo Corrientes.  We were able to visit many villages and schools in the area and saw many completed projects and other projects that badly needed help.  While we were there we were fortunate enough to stay with my good Mexican friends in the pretty fishing village of Tehuamixtle and Terry got to see the broken down bus that services this area.  After a very productive and fun couple of days I drove Terry back to Boca Tomatlan where we had a great lunch on the beach watching the young kids surfing in the bigger than normal waves; then it was time for him to hop a bus back to Puerto Vallarta and then Canada, while I headed south towards Bara Navidad where Bob and Annette were staying.

fun mural

Bob Mason and kids at the orphanage

Second, Bob Mason and his good wife Annette had asked me to visit and possibly do some painting at a nearby special needs center if I was in Mexico around this time. We had never met but had corresponded over the years and they had been a great help with our fundraisers.  As I have described in an earlier post the Masons had dedicated their lives for many years to running an orphanage in northern Mexico, and they had only recently moved to this area.  I had a fun time painting at the school where one of the children’s fathers had just painted one of the cutest murals I had ever seen.  It was also very nice catching up with the Masons.  I learned a fun game of Dominos called Mexican Train, saw huge crocodiles that lived on the property, and possibly got a great lead on some wheelchairs that were badly needed at the new center in Cabo Corrientes.  As soon as I returned to Puerto Vallarta I got in touch with their Bob and Annette’s friends Nigel and Phillipa Gow.

Wheelchair/Walker for young boy at Sp. Needs center in El Tuito

The Gows were the third good reason for my quick return to Mexico and Lady Luck was surely shining down when I contacted them.  They belong to a great organization called “Amigos de Teacapan” who help with medical, educational and just about any other kind of need in this area.  Their president Rod Buranen gave them the go ahead to help us out and boy did they ever!  They helped us locate a great wheelchair and a sturdy walker for a young boy in El Tuito that was without both.  Then their friends Ken and Janet Jones from Richmond B.C, who were in the area, volunteered to deliver the wheelchair and walker down to Puerto Vallarta where they delivered them right to where I was staying.

New kindergarten school in Corrales

Condemned house for 3 teachers in Corrales

Fourth, my wonderful amiga Barb Crompton who has helped so much the last couple of years wanted to take her good  friend Joel from Napa California on a tour of  Cabo Corrientes to see what was happening out that way.  What a whirlwind fun tour this was and it could not have gone any better.  In one day we were able to: deliver the wheelchair and walker to the new special needs center in El Tuito (where it was greatly appreciated); meet the local government which is really dedicated to helping their people; visit several villages and schools; see the new 4 room teacherage that Barb had helped to build in Villa del mar; and vsit the brand new kindergarten school that had just been completed in the very remote village of Corrales.  BOY DO THEY NEED A NEW HOUSE FOR TEACHERS THERE.

The fifth good reason for my return took place only 2 days before I was due to trade in my beach wear for winter skis one more time.  On this day I headed out by bus to where I met up with the local government in Cabo Corrientes to discuss what projects they needed help with for this year.  It is always a fun time getting together with this group as they so dedicated to helping their people, and work so hard for not a lot of money.  No corruption out this way, just lots of pride, happy people and beautiful new buildings!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4634419850_f701a4ab92_t.jpg

Terry checking out the local bus.

Last year he mentioned the dire need for a kindergarten school in Upper Limbang where the last of the nomadic Penan are living.  Currently there is no preschool/kindergarten in the area, especially for the villages of Long Gita, Ba Peresek, Long Pusit and Ba Nyakit.  Over 100 preschool/kindergarten children are living in camp situations with no schooling at all.

We have laid the foundation to meet these needs by developing partnerships and securing preliminary funding.  Our partners in this project are Keruan and PACOS, two local organisations working hard to improve living conditions for the people of Sarawak.  As well, a group of international teachers, churches and organisations working in this area have agreed to provide teacher training, salaries and ongoing support for the teachers and school.

The cost of building this school is $8000 US Dollars.  The amount raised to date is $3000 US Dollars.

So we still need to raise an additional $5000. All donations to this project greatfully appreciated.

110% of all money raised will go towards building supplies and all work will be done by the local population, who will take ownership of the school once it is built.  Hopefully construction will start in April 2010 with the goal of having the school built by July.

pictures by Bintulu Town, onekell and voss on Flickr

Who would ever believe that I could break down in 3 different vehicles in 3 different countries within one month. The Universe must know I am no mechanic!

Just before leaving Canada my old van came to a grinding halt after getting off the Quadra Island ferry; the fuel pump gone (it is only money). Two days later I picked up the van that the Wachiay Friendship Center in Courtenay was so kind to give me the deal of the century on. This 15 passenger was going to be donated to the HIV/ AIDS Center in Pt Vallarta Mexico and to be used for testing in the poorer communities. On my way I stopped by my good friends Jim and Marlyn Ainsley for a coffee, before I hopped on the ferry for Vancouver, then the US of A. They had some clothes that I was going to take down and donate and asked if there was anything else I could use like MATERIAL. The light bulb went ON – for years they had worked craft fairs selling their fabrics and now had all this material left over. Soon we were loading bolt after bolt of material into the van and, guess what, not a problem at the border. California here I come! or so I thought.

Just before the California border there are a set of mountains that the van did not want to go over and it heated up quickly. I hobbled back into Grants Pass and found the only mechanic open on a Sunday. I spent the whole day at the mechanic’s as the crew tried to figure what the problem was – no luck and I was held over until Monday when the boss was due to arrive. I drove the van to the Walmart parking lot and spent the night there in the van, what an experience !!! There were half a million dollar motor homes on one side of the lot and on the other the displaced and homeless. It was quite the contrast. Back at the mechanics they discovered it was the radiator (only more money) : -) Next, I was off to see Ken and Sandra who have an organic farm just outside Santa Cruz. After a short visit a donated sewing machine plus lots more clothing from friends it was off to Puerta Vallarta where a group of Rotarians was waiting for me.

Three days later I arrived and quickly borrowed the small bus I had donated to this wonderful special needs center, Pasitos de Luz ( Place of Light), the year before so I could tour the rotary group around the remote area south of Pt. Vallarta. Then LIGHTNING STRUCK AGAIN. With everyone on board and way out in this remote area the transmission seal blew. Thanks to a Pepsi truck who towed us to the main town everyone was happy and a week later the bus was fixed (only money) : -)

WOMEN’S CO-OP: TOOTHBRUSHES FOR THE HUITCHOL INDIANS

Back in Puerta Vallarta I dropped the van off with ED and the folk doing wonderful work with HIV/AIDS prevention in the area. On the way I gave all the donated material to Vivian and the sewing machine to the Womens Co-op that she helps operate in the poor areas. I also gave my good friend Kevin, who runs the shop Peyote People, all the clothes and supplies collected for the Huitchol Indians that live high in the mountains. It was so good to hear from him that the tooth brushes and paste that we had sent up the year before was a big hit as they had never used them before.

CHAIRS, FANS, BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS

My good friend Margarito who helped start this project 7 years ago with his wife Eva had been collecting furniture and other materials needed for schools in the remote areas. Armed with a list of all the school materials that were needed it was time to load the truck up and go delivering. As always it was a lot of fun seeing old friends. Glenn Barron a teacher and good friend from North Carolina had arrived with his daughter Katie and 600 books that were going to be given to 3 separate schools so they could start school libraries. The year before he had noticed that there were hardly any books for the children to read and they do not even know the word library. We stayed out there for a couple of days and the books were a hit with everyone. It was a great trip.

PASITOS DE LUZ ( PLACE OF LIGHT) SPECIAL NEEDS CENTER

One of my favorite HAPPY Places. This year we helped to raise funds to finish their badly needed renovations. They look after over 100 children a day so the parents can go to work in an area the size of a shoe box.

One of their faithful volunteer/ workers Yuni ( Loved by all) had for the last 8 years wanted to attend a 2 year special needs therapists school in Guadalahara so she could return and help the children. My good friend Jim Boland decided to help right away and Yuni has now completed 6 months of the course and doing great.

HOUSE FOR 5 TEACHERS

This was our big project for the year that the local government, who does not have a lot of money, decided that teacher housing was a major priority and asked us to help. There are 5 teachers at the only high school in this very remote area ( Villa del Mar), and they are sleeping in make shift tents, on the school floor, or being passed around to different families in the community. This is a big problem as most teachers are from the cities and not used to these sparse living conditions. They get fustrated , some leave, and in other cases the school closes.

Thanks to Barb Crompton, Patsy Duggan AND MANY FRIENDS who threw a very successful, very fun, fund raiser for this project in Vancouver last year. Along with continuing support from the Sunrise Rotary Club of Medicine Hat AB this fundraiser allowed us to help see this project completed. The local people of the village have done all the work and we have been able to get all materials at cost..

NEXT YEAR

Kindergarten school in Coralles, special needs center in El tuito. Two houses for teacher,

SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL….FOR YOUR SUPPORT.