Here are the amazing students of Medicine Hat:

This past year we also built of a new kindergarten school in the village of Naranjitos. Here are a couple of photos of the new school and the remains of the old stick school.

The Sunrise and Pace Rotary Clubs from Medicine Hat Alberta donated funds so this school could be built with matching funds from the local government.

That is about it until next year..

Bob signing out for 2010

What a year down Olde Mexico way. It is truly amazing with all the ills that are happening in Mexico (Corruption, Cartels and a Crashing Economy) that there is still so much sweetness and always a time for a good laugh with the local people especially the children. After being robbed, accidentally trying to help hired asassins (who were later apprehended), and seeing my good friend Margarito have to  lay off half his restaurant staff one day and then turning around and having the time to teach us how to make old fashion hot air balloons they made as kids (it climbed  to 1000 meters) …This is what makes Mexico a truly wonderful place and I can hardly wait to return..

More school supplies were needed this year than ever before as the federal government had cut all funding but we were still able to help over 500 students get their needed materials as well as assist 2 special needs centers.The interesting thing this year was that teachers were asking for more alternative teaching tools,exercise equipment and books and more books..

The local government in Cabo Correntes that is still reeling from federal funding cuts would like to go ahead with us on  three projects this year if at all possible: an additional classroom in Las Juntas Y Veranos where presently 120 students are in 3 classrooms; Villa del Mar primary where 18 students from grade 1 to 3 are being taught outside; and a new school in Pedro Moreno where there presently is no school for 25 students. These are all growing communities and they see the importance of  good education for their children and would like to assist with the building.

There is a huge push in this area for reading as well as learning english and once again to the rescue came Libros For Learning headed by my good friend Gord Barron. This year they were able to set up 8 more libraries in rural schools donating  over 1000 educational books to this great cause. The donated van was again a great help in assisting with this project.

There was also time for play and even thou I can not swim my girlfriend Allison got me hooked on surfing, next year I will probably be the only surfer with a life jacket on.

MUCHAS GRACIAS; MUY AMABLE To all those good friends that helped to make this happen.

Wishing you all a  Magical 2011

Bob

Friends,

I wanted to report back to everyone who has supported Libros for Learning. It has been a wonderful year for the project and for the kids in Cabo Corrientes.

Four of us spent Thanksgiving week in Cabo Corrientes delivering books and meeting teachers. We delivered 8 libraries to primary school classrooms. Each of the libraries had 125 – 150 books that spanned difficulty levels from first grade to sixth grade. The books each had a library card in a pocket glued into the back cover. We also bought bookshelves this year, because most classrooms lack storage space for new books.  At each stop, we explained how to check out the books from the teacher and how to take good care of books. We stayed at each school for a few hours. We sat with the kids and did partner reading and group read aloud. Read aloud provides such positive enthusiasm for reading. It would be great for the  teachers to spend a little time with read-aloud every day.

We checked on some of the libraries we delivered in the past. The results are encouraging. The kids continue to read them at home and return them to the schools. We will look for the biggest results in 2-3 years among the kids who have had books available to them through their entire schooling. We expect that they will be better readers and more likely to continue their education through 12^th grade.

We also decided to spend time with middle and high school teachers (those schools are called “secundario” and “preparatorio”). In particular, we spent time talking about the new English curriculum in Mexico. As of 2008, English language education is part of the curriculum starting in fifth grade. The government has developed an interactive computer-based curriculum that teaches all levels. The biggest challenges for the teachers are first, that they themselves don’t know English, so they cannot serve as experts; the second is that there is no written material to support the computer lessons. They asked for English language books for the students to read n order to practice.  As a result of these conversations, we have decided to expand the work of Libros for Learning to include English language books for the middle and high schools. We will be very selective about what we provide – the books will have to be at a simple level – 2^nd – 4^thgrade is probably ideal. They must also be engaging and visual. If the themes are too young, they kids will not be interested. I have begun scouting out books that may work for these libraries. If you have thoughts about this, please let me know.

We are trying to set up some “Epal” relationships between high school students here and in Mexico. Two principals in schools down there are very interested. They have the internet capability in the schools and are excited to get started. Spanish teachers in my county are going to try to create that.

The year was a financial success. We raised about $7000 and spent it all on the project. As always, we spent no money on salaries or office space. The labor for organizing and labeling the books was all donated, mostly by schoolkids here in North and South Carolina. Special thanks to Mike Leonard of “Reading is Power.” Mike orders the books and does all the spreadsheet work for Libros for Learning along with continuing his own project.

We had support this year from two Rotary Clubs in North Carolina and are working to expand that relationship in 2011. We also got help from many classrooms who adopted Libros for Learning as their class service projects. Some classes raised money, some bought books, and many of them made bookmarks to accompany the books. In visiting with those classes, we were able to teach them about Mexico and about the challenges their friends in Mexican schools face.

Our goal for 2011 is to deliver 20 new libraries to primary schools and to provide English language libraries to two middle and high schools.

Enough information. If you want to learn more, go to the website, www.librosforlearning.com

Photos from the recent trip are in a Picasa album http://picasaweb.google.com/gbaron1950/LibrosForLearning201002#

Thanks for everything,

Glenn Baron

This year, Yoga Holidays with Barbara Crompton is raising money for a project to build housing for 4 school teachers that have no permanent place to live in the remote village where they teach. The village, El Refugio, is located south of Puerto Vallarta, the population is around 500 and there are 4 schools.

You and your friends are invited to help by joining us for another fun filled soiree and silent auction. Bask in the July sun on the False Creek seawall, meet old friends and discover new ones at The Wicklow in Vancouver (610 Stamps Landing, next to Monk McQueens). The cost is $45.00 per person (includes appetizers and one drink). Purchase tickets online, at the door or by mailing a cheque.

Please let us know that you are coming by phone or email to:

Barbara Crompton

Ph. 604-618-4591

Email. bcrompton(at)fitnessgroup.com

If you are unable to attend, we would greatly appreciate any contribution to this very worthwhile cause. You may donate online or mail your cheque to:

Mexican Children’s Relief Fund

c/o 235-1628 West 1st Avenue

Vancouver, BC

V6J 1G1

A tax receipt for the donation will be mailed to you. Please provide your full name and address.

With Gratitude,

Barbara Crompton

THEY DID IT AGAIN! With the help of the new Pace Rotary and the Sunrise Rotary Club we were able to raise over $5000.00 towards building a new primary school in the tiny fishing village of Tehuamixtle in Cabo Corrientes Mexico.

What a gathering it was at the local curling rink; lots of Mexican food, salsa dancing, games galore, and a wonderful silent auction that raised a lot of money.  My good friend Caroline Van Dean who has helped with projects in Mexico for the past 4 years was honored with The Paul Harris Fellow Award in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world; and rightly so!  The famous Sunrise Bimbo Team also rose to the occasion and had a way too much fun …

Caroline getting her award

The Sunrise Bimbo Team

All In All a Pretty Special Time.  Muchas Gracias Amigos.  Muy Amable.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who helped out this year and in past years.  Without your support, none of these worthwhile projects could have happened.  Here are some of the highlights from 2009:

My arrival in Puerto Vallarta was mid-October.  It was still a tad warm but the children were all in school and it was well before the all-consuming Christmas celebrations; a perfect time to get things done!  It was so nice to reconnect with the local folk.  Following three weeks of searching far and wide, our friend Margarito was finally able to free up some time (and a vehicle) to travel into the remote areas where we finally managed to create a ‘wish list’ for over 20 schools.

When we got back to Puerto Vallarta it was wonderful to see how different projects were doing around town.  One of these was Pasitos de Luz, a rehabilitation and teaching centre in a very poor area that provides day care over 100 special needs children so that their parents can go to work.  Pasitos was recently able to hire a medical specialist on a part-time basis from Guadalajara University Medical School.

New classroom at special needs center in el tuito

We also visited  El Tuito where a new classroom and kitchen addition had been added to their Special Needs Centre, thanks to the Medicine Hat Grad Committee who donated $5000.00!  As icing on the cake we were also able to donate money for the purchase of some playground equipment.

Robert and Annette

We came across the original orphanage, and town, of Villa Juarez co-incidentally, or providentially, when on trip to Mexico mid-1989. At that time there were just 3 children. In early 1991, when we drove a car donated by a friend from Denver to Villa Juarez, the orphanage had grown to 20 kids. After staying for a week we decided we could be of use, and in early 1992 we went down to help. A year later the founder, a young Mexican teacher, quit and we inherited the beast.

Over the next few years we spent an average of 9 months each year in Villa Juarez, and in the remaining 3 summer months we worked to raise money to keep the orphanage going. The orphanage now has 32 kids, and we’d changed the layout of the original two buildings (built in 1992) so that they are less like dormitories and more like two “houses”. For many years we personally covered all the operating expenses beyond a small amount that we then received from a sponsor organisation in Ontario (CHER Canada). In those days we spent our summer weekends away speaking in churches, sometimes on Saturdays (our own Adventist) and on many Sundays, trying to raise interest. We set up booths at conferences in BC, in Alberta and in different towns in the States.

When in Mexico we ran the place and had four sets of Mexican house parents to look after the four houses; there was also a cook. We slowly built new buildings, these included an elementary school (one of the house fathers was the principal), chapel, guest house, storage building, and director’s house in 1998. We lived in trailer, and hired a Mexican pastor to be the director. Sine we started running the orphanage there have been four different directors.

In 1996 we incorporated the Mexican Children’s Relief Fund (MRCF), a registered charity, so we could issue tax receipts to the increasing number of people outside of churches that wanted to help. We slowly developed sponsorships and a core group of donors, and as the Canada Revenue agency wouldn’t let us be a “one off” group, we sought out other unincorporated projects in Mexico that we could help by receiving donations from Canadians, and issuing tax receipts.

Over the years all sorts of things weredonated, and through contacts with the Air Force numerous Hercules and Buffalo flights brought supplies down to Mexico; some for the orphanage itself, but mostly for hospitals, schools, fire departments etc.

When we had fully developed the old orphanage, we had visiting school/church groups stay with us and help with programmes for the kids and work projects in the community. They also built a church and a treatment centre for handicapped children. As we promoted the idea, Annette and I were made honorary citizens of Villa Juarez! Big deal, eh – but we don’t have to pay taxes.

We personally visited projects that the MCRF helped in Michoacan, Jalisco, Sinaloa and elsewhere in Sonora. Now can say we’ve seen some of the Mexican Schools Project works, both in Barra de Navidad and on Cabo Corriente.

Five years ago a hurricane destroyed the former orphanage and we re-built on donated land on the campus of University of Navojoa, about 40 miles from original location. Building essentially finished in 2008, and Reach International (US) took over management of the orphanage in March 2009. We resigned our involvement with MCRF in July 2009, and have little to do with the orphanage any more (thank the good Lord!)

Robert & Annette

A friend just sent this to me…

Pretty Sweet to say the least..

Hi Bob,

We visited our daughter, Louise, and her husband, Adam’s home in Red Deer for Thanksgiving.  They have two sons, Ty (5) and Brody (21/2).  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Our grandson, 5, had big surprise for us!

We were doing some early planning for Christmas.  We talked about giving some money to a charity rather than buying each other gifts.  I mentioned the Mexican Schools Project and Pasitos de Luz.  Louise asked Ty if he would like to help the children in Mexico.  He said “yes”.  He left the table without any prompting and came back with a small coin purse that he dumped on the table.  He had 5 dollar bill and some change.  He took out the quarters and left all the rest for the children in Mexico.  His donation totals $5.90.  I will send a cheque for that amount to the Mexican Schools project.  He said he wanted to keep the quarters ($1.75) so he could take them to school to give to the United Way.  He is in kindergarten.  Ty gave away all his money!  We are so proud of him!!!

Ty Erickson

An excerpt from the Aspengrove School website:

The Grade 2 class recently had a visit from a “Superhero” named Bob Johnson, who has been helping children across Mexico for the last 20 years! He has been going to extremely remote areas, where children don’t have schools, electricity…all of the things that we are so lucky to have, and raising money to build schools and homes and provide school supplies to the children and teachers. Please check out his blog for more details: www.mexicoschoolsproject.ca

After the presentation, the children discussed what they learned and feelings they had (see the attached photo). As Action is a big part of the IB curriculum and philosophy I told them that when people learn about these types of situations and think about how they feel, it often leads to them taking action. I asked the children if they thought we could take action and they came up with the idea of raising money via a bake sale. We wrote a class email to Mrs. Fitzgerald, asking for permission, and she granted it on 1 request: that we make a commitment to eating healthy for 1 week. The children have risen to the challenge and have been giving up certain items from the lunches (food high in sugar). Don’t worry, I have labeled each item and they will be returned to your child on Friday. It is actually quite amazing how little has had to be handed over, as the Grade 2 student’s snacks and lunches are of excellent nutritional quality!

This entire process has also enabled the students to learn about goal setting and decision making, which are a part of the Grade 2 BC curriculum learning outcomes.

Student reflections after Bob's visit