2015? How can that be..... We are still around.

Were does the time go? How can it be three years. I guess if I am doing then writing takes a back seat. Now is the quiet before the storm. Not much to do. Back in California with Mexico weeks off. A friend contacted me a few days ago and asked about helping gather backpacks and school supplies. This set into motion energy spent of finding pics and gathering information. It seems appropriate to document a bit of it here.

This will be our sixth season handing out backpacks with school supplies to students in the Pinal Villa, Melaque, Barra community. This is an never ending project and we are only scratching the surface. Though Mexico has socialized education, underwritten by the government this does not include uniforms, school supplies and books. Many families can not afford the most basic school items; pen, pencil, paper and books for their students. You do not go to school if you can not bring paper and a pencil.

This year we have a target numbers we would like to meet.

125 Backpacks -  These would go to students in the K - 12 grades.  There are 12 kindergartners and 83 primary students in Pinal Villa this year. 100+ backpacks would go a long way in this community plus we are hoping to have 20-40 indigenous students at the Albergue school for the 2015-2016 season. The albergue is a center that helps Mixteco migrant farm workers and their families. These children work in the fields and public school is not available to them. The Albergue, which is run by volunteers, underwrites an afternoon school program for these children along with a hot meal.

Along with the need for backpacks we are looking for the following supplies.

Contents:

1 Package of Tissues

1 Bottle of  Hand Sanitizer

2 Boxes of Pencils  (24 total)

1 Box of Crayons (24 pack)

1 Pencil Case

2 Large Erasers

4 Notebooks

3 Highlighters (1) Pink; (1) Green; (1) Yellow

1 Pair of Children’s Safety Scissors

2 Glue Sticks ( Large Size for Kindergarten/ small for 1-12 grades)

1 Bottle White Glue

1 Pack Ballpoint Pens

1 pair socks

1 pack of underwear Boys & Girls K-12

1 Wash cloth

1 bar soap

1 toothbrush

1 small tube of toothpaste

1 comb

Volunteers sorting and prepping school supplies

Ismael 12 years old with new backpack

Alisia 11 old with new backpack

Two room school house at the Albergue

School supplies.

Distribution

Yesterday was an adventure. It's always an adventure around here. During the summer I imagined all kinds of scenarios of how the school provisions would be dispersed. Maybe I'd have my photo posted in the local paper, real altruism! And true to form, I could not have imagined the sequence of events, the faces and the genuine warmth of every person I met. The morning was an emotional roller coaster ride;  from the high of feeling like we can make a difference to the depths of inadequacy; and always with the underlying awareness that I'm rich, white and unencumbered with true need. It's hard to wear the truth.

Our first stop was to the elementary school in Villa Obergon. The director was cordial. I had the sense that she saw me as one more "do gooder" fly by night gringo. Here one season with promises and gone before spring break, never to be heard from again. After handing over a box of spiral note books and pencils we began talking about the backpacks, could they be of use? What an absurd question. There was excitement for the first time in her face and I could see the possibilities running through her head. On Monday we will deliver 5 backpacks that are filled with basic school gear; note pads, pencils,  a calculator, glue sticks, erasers etc.  The teachers are going to discuss who needs and deserves. We are invited to the school assembly on Wednesday where they will present the packs and distribute the rest of the school supplies.  More to come on Villa Obergon (VO).

By the time we drove out to the area called Pinal; dirt road laden with pot holes, we missed the morning session of school due to some sort of assembly. My sense is that the elementary school in VO will look like the Taj Mahal after visiting the elementary school in Pinal. I was requested by a friend to ask how many students are with out shoes. On Wednesday we will try again. My instinct tells me there are 85 students who assemble in a less than adequate building with not much else.

Our last stop was to deliver clothes to some families who have been with out or with little work. Though this stop isn't related to "100 Backpacks" I feel it's worth mentioning it and posting a few pics. This is the story of one family. The husband was abandoned when he was 2 years old. At some point as a child he was in an accident and lost four fingers and has a large pin in one thigh. He finds work by riding his bike to the local farmers and buying bags of tomatoes and cucumbers and then reselling them in town.  He and his wife have four children, 3 girls and a boy. The youngest is four weeks old. This is a pic of the 3 year old daughter and the front of their house. They offered to make us lunch, gracious, let me hold the new born, offered me a seat in their one room casa. His wife went to her neighbors home and soon the two women were going through the clothes and asking if they could pick something out for a sisters child. We left them all that we had.

1st box unpacked

I feel a bit guilty posting about the needs of a small area of Mexico after Hurricane Sandy, a 7.5 earthquake in Guatemala this morning and let's not forget, Japan and Thailand.

All I can say, is thank you. These backpacks and school supplies are making some persons life better and possibly changing their course for the good.

100 Backpacks is on the Move

Slowly we made our way down Mexico way. Have a truck load of school supplies and backpacks for the Melaque area.

Back To School Alert

Did your student get a new backpack for school? If so, where's last years pack? 100 Backpacks wants it!

There are loads of kids who would appreciate and use a well loved pack. 

Send it my way if you haven't already donated or tossed it.

The donations of school supplies have been over the top this season.  Thank you!

A special thank you goes out to Vineman Triathlon in Santa Rosa.  For the past two years Amy, Tracey, Shelly and Russ have donated packs, t-shirts and loads of gear that have gone to the hardest hit areas of southern Jalisco after hurricane Jova. You guys are awesome to the 10th power!!

We have packed in our travel pod -

More then 30 boxes of crayons (10 cents from Best Buy while supplies last)

Over 100 spiral bound notebooks (10 cents from Best Buys or 17 cents from Target)

20+ Bottles of school glue (10 cents Best Buy)

20+ Glue sticks (10 cents Best Buy)

10+ calculators

More then 400 pencils/200 pens/several rulers

WISH LIST-

Construction paper
Scissors (for grades K-3)
Rulers
erasers
pencil sharpeners
calculators
graph paper
protractors & compasses
highlighters
packs of colored pencils




 

Photos from Christmas give away 2011

About

"100 Backpacks"  is a volunteer based/not for profit program to bring educational/school supplies to economically challenged families in a small poor area of the Pacific coast of Mexico. (San Patricio de Melaque).

This is our second year in collecting crayons to compasses for  K-12 students. The goal is to bring 100 backpacks with the minimal school supplies needed to benefit those who may not otherwise be able to attend classes. The packs are passed on to teachers in the local schools. Educators use them as an incentive for kids to stay in school; perfect attendance and you receive a pack OR are given to families who may have several children but can only afford to send one of their students to school. Who's child doesn't deserve to go to school? There is an inordinate number of families with no or little resources. 100 Backpacks is a small step in giving kids a chance to gain an education.

Contact 100 Backpacks -
Michele Tomich
skype: michele.tomich
e-mail: avemichele@gmail.com