WHAT IS PROJECT AMIGO

Before I post my blog for a very successful Literacy Workweek, I thought it might be a good idea to give you a bit of background information on Project Amigo and introduce you to the founders, our friends Ted and Susan and the staff.

Project Amigo's Mission: To enable the poor children of Colima, Mexico, to achieve their highest potential by providing educational opportunities, material support, enrichment activities and medical and dental services.

To provide opportunities for volunteers from developed countries to help and become friends with disadvantaged children in Mexico.

To foster friendship and understanding between Rotarians (and non Rotarians) from developed countries and from Mexico.

How did Project Amigo get started?

Project Amigo has a long history in Colima, Mexico.  When Ted Rose first visited the state of Colima, back in 1984, he went to hike on a volcano.  But, instead, he took the wrong bus and found himself in a little poverty-stricken village. That mistake, and a few other fortuitous events, led to his decision a couple of years later to trade his comfortable life as the owner of an office machine company for a life surrounded by wonderful, and very poor, children who appeared to need a helping hand if they were ever to break out of poverty. 

For more details please visit the Project Amigo Web site

Ted and Susan have devoted their entire lives to this Project and after having spent some time here over the last three years, I can understand why.

The community is so friendly, the kids are wonderful and continue to give us pride in our work. Life is Good for us and we like to make it good for them as well.

Of course without the many volunteers and the staff this Project would not be possible.

The staff is wonderful and extremely helpful; They even help me with my Spanish.

Diego is our driver (second from right). If he were to enter the Bus Drivers Rodeo, he would for sure win the world Championship.

Beto (not on picture) is the  Program director and ensure that the volunteer workweeks are schedule to the minute making the experience for the volunteers the best they could ever expect.

Delia (third from left) is Beto's assistant.

Jorge (far right) and Lety (second on left)look after the school projects, Homework class and sponsorhips. Juana runs the cyber cafe and does a lot of our correspondence. I enjoy working with her, getting all the volunteer packages ready and have her print our what ever I need, She is the sweetest. And then there is Anilu (fourth from left). She is so helpful and gets us anything we need She mostly runs the office in Colima amongst other things.

I also like to tell you about the cooks. The cook us a wonderful hot meal, three times a day with a lot of variety. It is not easy to resist the temptation to fill your plate three times a day with their wonderful dishes. They adapt very well to those wth allergies and vegetarian diets.

Our volunteers stay in a variety of houses. and each of the houses has their own house keeper, who do our laundry, clean our rooms and keep our fresh water jugs filled.

In one of my next blogs I will show you a few pictures of the homes our volunteers stay in.