WHY LITERACY IS IMPORTANT

There is not much opportunity for a break for Ramiro and I between the Vision Clinic and the next work week, which is another Literacy week. Joe goes to the beach for a few days to relax; some of the volunteers stayed an extra six days, and a few of the work week guests arrive a few days earlier. Every one likes to be kept busy, which is not easy when our focus is on getting caught up with paperwork and start preparations for the next work week.

I did manage to save up a few jobs and kept a few people occupied.

Beto entertains our guests with his chocolate making demonstration and we invite some of the guests to help us with the grocery shopping for the next week.

On Saturday we receive a surprised visit from a small group of Canadians, who are staying in Manzanillo and heard about Project Amigo. I explain everything there is to explain about Project Amigo and give them some pamphlets to take with them.

They are quite interested and may even join us one year in one of our workweek.

They don't leave empty handed, that's for sure. I cannot stop myself from selling them a few items from our little store. "Your first official support for Project Amigo" I suggest.

By night time, our group has increased to 21 guest. We see a few familiar faces, from previous years work weeks. This particular work week is called Eugene Literacy Week, because the majority of the volunteers are from the Eugene, Oregon area. Some are from California, Illinois and Alberta, Canada. A good mix.

Once everyone has settled into their room we start with the briefing and orientation, and after the usual Sunday morning walking tour of Cofradia, everyone starts sorting and labeling the "fun" books for kids and placing them in boxes, while marking the check list for titles needed for each school. The books have been purchased in Guadalajara, with donations from Canadian or US Rotary Clubs, and the Colima Rotary club, with the funds matched by a grant from Rotary International. 

The work bee is a well organized procedure that has been done many times before. Rotarians from the Colima club join us to lend a hand.

 

 

 

By the time we are all done, our favorite cooks Tina and Cande have prepared another one of their fabulous meals.It's not a surprise that our pants are starting to feel a bit tight. Especially when we indulge in birthday cake for long time, repeat volunteer Dick Brigg.

The tradition here at Project Amigo, is that when it's your birthday, Tina will bake a cake, but you are also expected to have your face put into the cake.

Well, Dick knows exactly what his wife Sally is up, when she sneaks up behind him. She is not succesful in getting DIck's face full of cake. 

Monday is one of the house keepers, Chayo's birthday. We left some cake for her and even found a small candle, which we lit behind her back. We give her a hug, present her with the cake (no, we won't attempt to put her face in the cake, that's for the tough guys only) and all join in "Happy Birthday".

 

Monday is our first book delivery day. We will visit three schools; Deliver the books with a presentation and spend some time with the kids and listen to them read to us. 

Our program director Beto is sick with a terrible cold and Ramiro takes over his job today. He gets the paperwork signed by the principal and makes a presentation to the kids.

He does a great job, getting the kids all involved and cheering, and telling them about Project Amigo, Rotary, the volunteers from North America and about the importance of being able to read. But he makes one mistake: After his presentation he invites all kids to come and get a book from the small bookshelf, where I am standing, observing the entire presentation.

In a flip second, I am being mobbed by 200 kids, all hoping to get a book to read. There is no mercy. Am I invisible or what? I am not able to move an inch. They step on my feet and push and push, until someone comes to rescue me.

Elly in the middle in front of the teacher, with white and yellow shirt, with arm in the air, holding the camera

Once order has been restored and my friends have all stopped laughing, the proper procedure is followed. Each volunteer picks a few students, they find a few appropriate books for their reading level and go to a quiet spot to read together.

The volunteers have been practicing a few Spanish phrases on the bus, which they proudly use, to indicate to the kids that they will read to them and when to turn the page and ask them a few questions or other small talk.

The volunteers do a great job, interacting with the students, making conversation and new friends.

 

 

 

 

Our second school is quite a bit easier to manage. It is in Las Pascuales, a tiny surfing community. Interesting to see the various colours of skins and hair amongst the kids, of which some tell us their fathers are from New Zealand and California.

This school, which is right on the beach is a CONAFE school (Consejo Nacional de Fomento Educativo) (Nacional Advisory Board for the promotion of education; Loosely translated)). Most of the teachers of CONAFE schools are on a one year practicum. 

These schools are usually much smaller than the traditional schools. In this case there are only 9 students from grade one to six. Going to school at the beach must be somewhat distracting. Most of the kids are bare feet and their faces are deeply tanned. Oh, I wish I was a kid again in a small village such as this.

We deliver a supplementary library to add to a previously delivered bookshelf, complete with books. There is enough time to both read to the kids and play a few games. The balloons with the Canadian flags, we brought are quite popular. All of a sudden there are a lot more, so-called students. They all get a balloon, even the two years olds who appear from out of nowhere.

 

We leave the books behind and walk to Las Hamacas for lunch. Once and a while I am being reminded, that despite the fact that our six month assignment is on a volunteer basis, there are some perks; One of these perks are the wonderful meals during the workweeks and a visit to the beach, where we eat the best shrimp of the coast and get to stroll along the shore. Some are eager to get into their swimming trunks for a dip in the Pacific Ocean.

After a delicious lunch, it's time to get to work again. One more school to visit. This school also receives the book shelf, indicating that this is Project Amigo's first visit to this school. Ramiro is making sure I am not being mobbed again and does a much better job in keeping the crowd away from me.

 

 

There are only so many volunteers to read with but the kids still like to participate, even if it means reading by themselves. 

Having participated in quite a few of these book deliveries I am really seeing a difference in the reading skills of those schools where we already placed libraries previously and those where we deliver a new library. At this school, many of the kids, ages 7, 8, 9 and even 10 admit shamefully that they do not know how to read. 

Before we leave, we encourage all kids to read as much as they can. Some do understand that it will help them advance in life. They mention that they like to travel to the United States, where they have family, and know this costs money. To earn money they need a job, to get a good job, you need to be educated. to be well educated you need to know how to read.

I recently found an article in a Guadalajara Newspaper, touching on the subject of the literacy level of politicians here in Mexico; It indicated that a large number of the members of the legislature have very poor reading skills. They tested this by the number of words they read per minute and compare that to the standards used in schools. Which is as follows: Primary School:

Grade 1, 35 - 59 words per minute.

Grade 2, 60 - 84 wpm

Grade 3, 85 - 99 wpm

Grade 4, 100 - 114 wpm

Grade 5, 115 - 124 wpm

Grade 6, 125 - 134 wpm

Out of the 10 members tested, 3 had grade 4 reading skills; 1 with grade 5; 3 with grade 6, and the remaining 3 between grade 1 and 3 of secondary school, with a reading speed from 135 to 156; with 155 to 160 words per minute being the standard for 3rd grade of secondary school.

Pretty sad eh?

So it's important that we continue to provide the opportunities for an education to the poor children here in Colima and of course every where in the world, with the hope that they will do much better than the older generation.

There is more work to be done. On day three of the workweek, we return to Queseria. We are going to build a picket fence around a small grass field for which the sod has been donated by sponsors from Alberta, Canada. The pickets were purchased and cans of left over paints gathered and the volunteers, of whom none brought a pair of work pants. managed to get, not only all the pickets painted in pretty colours but also their clothes.

Meanwhile Joe is making an attempt to fix the toilet at the small school. while others play games with the kids who are not interested in watching our volunteers paint.

 

 

Queseria is only one of the many Migrant workers camps in Colima. Not to far from us on the other side of the highway in the community of Trapiche is another camp and a government run school.

We make one more supplementary library delivery here and distribute clothes to both kindergarten and grade school children. We just received a large suitcase full of donated, used boys jeans and have a small supply of girls pants as well. It turns out that these girls only wear skirts to school, so we have to disappoint many and are able to give them only a summer top.

We need to find a way to get more girls clothes. If we are not able to give all children in the school at least one piece of clothing, we won't be delivering any at all. And looking at the poverty in this community, that saddens me; Especially during these, much colder winter mornings when the temperature can be at freezing point.

 

 

The days are going by fast and after several more library deliveries over the next few days, it is time to relax over cocktails and dinner, after Ted's famous presentation "Tequila 101".

Ted, who teaches us all where the tequila comes from and how it is made, makes it clear that this presentation is not to promote overindulgence of the 38% alcohol containing liquid. But once you taste all three grades, from young to aged, and discover the smoothness of the Añejo (aged); which of course is sold at a much higher price in the store, you want to try one more. Let's see how many will skip tomorrow morning's breakfast.

We're on our last day. The group is going to Colima for a downtown visit and lunch at one of the restaurants, followed by a visit tot he Hidalgo museum and the Eco garden. I stay behind to work on the application for our Canadian Charitable status. I am so close I am determined to get it done befoe the next group of volunteers arrive.

We end the week with another wonderful meal in the Hacienda and make an individual presentation to each of the volunteers; Thanking them for their participation and hard work. One of the volunteers makes a very touching presentation to Ted and Susan, who are the driving forces between this entire project. Everyone is in tears.

What a fantastic week this was. So much accomplished so many happy faces, so many sad faces. Many volunteers will return next year and will also encourages others to join us, either by particiapating in a workweek, by sponsoring a young student or by sending a donation toward other much needed programs. 

It turns out that all volunteers are either going to spend a few more days in Guadalajara or leave from the Guadalajara airport today. So only one busload of passengers, who Diego will safely take to their destination.

We get to take the rest of the day off; Well sort of. The last three weeks have only been home to sleep; There is some serious house cleaning to be done.

I finally get to cook my own meal again and we go to the soccer field to watch Cande play. This past December, we bought him a pair of cleats, together with a few other people. Because he had not been able to play soccer the last year and a half. Simply because he could not afford to buy the shoes. 

Boy, were we proud to see him there on the field in his role as goaly.

Way to go Cande, You deserve it. You've got a great future ahead of you, thanks to the many people who support Project Amigo.