23/10/2016
Well the time is running out. While we had a very successful year, we can not stand on our laurels. We accomplished a total of 10 schools where we furnished them with school furniture. The miracle of the fishes came through, unbelievable. I should have known better, the good lord would come through. 9 kinders with 17 to 20 desks each, one school for at risk teens, with 50 desks, supported the prison reform program with getting our school furniture made by their rehab program, Unidos por la Vida, with the Auxillary Bishop of San Pedro at the helm.
Organized 3 separate music groups 2 in prison and one in an area know for gangs.
Hope to have a Christmas concert completed.
The school on the profile was something to really be proud of. First we went there to see a shed with 6 posts and a tin roof on a dirt floor. They used borrowed chairs from church. We went and delivered the first sets of desks. We later went and took them school supplies. We convinced a fellow worker that he could do best as a Rotarian. He joined the club in San Pedro. Wow, great things happend. Initiated into Rotary by the new District Governor. The governor challenged him to community work with a district grant. Did we hit a home run for the village of El Porvenir! The club will set up a water project for the 25 family village, solar panelling for the school, (the government has approved a new classroom built in January.) The club will request from the federal government computers for the school. One thing missing, they have no books, wow $200 buys a complete set of books for a child and the books can be used again and again for the next school child for that grade next year. This is our next important project. The foundation offers technical classes for young teenagers out of school, courses in Beauticians, Barbers, Dress makers, Tailors, Bakers, Plumbers, Electricians. The course is a 5 month course, includes a lunch meal. The course cost is $350.00 per person. We hope to find funds and offer scholarships for the youth in the mountain villages. They will come down daily for the course. Hope to get funds for at least three from each village. This will encourage the youth to travel together to the course. Once trained in a trade, there will be no temptation to support the human smugglers that fleece them to take them illegally and dangerously to the USA. We can help a village one youth at a time!