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Project Amigo
January - February E-News |
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| Greetings! |
 Greetings and best wishes from your friends in Colima, Mexico.
Our New Year has started off with an amazing story. As you will read below in "Meet Our Students", Noé Hernandez Rodriguez had a successful election campaign in Cofradia.
His first formal duty was to plan and carry out the kick-off event for Cofradia's Fiesta Charro-Taurino, always held in the beginning of January. It's an event that can make or break the Comisario - in terms of community support, involvement, and excitement. And what an event it was - complete with videos of the "Queen of the Fiesta" candidates shown on big screen, the local native dance group, choreographed staging and presentation of the candidates, and lots of enthusiasm from his MC, former Project Amigo scholar and licensed Psychologist, Moises Honorato.
Noe's committee (cabinet) consists of Mireya Rincon Torres (another PA scholarship student who graduated a year and a half ago from Law School and who has been featured in previous E-News articles); and three current Project Amigo college scholarship recipients from our village. Veronica, the Social Work major who went to Peru a year ago; and Nallely Medina and Ana Alicia Gonzalez, both of whom are majoring in Computer Science, are also members of his cabinet. When Noé introduced them at the end of the event, we were struck by the enormity of having five such highly educated young people serving in leadership/management roles in our little village. For the first time EVER in this village, young educated people are in charge!
Noe had the chance to visit his high school sponsor in Canada when he was in high school, and Mireya went to San Francisco twice (her sponsor was Fisherman's Wharf Rotary Club). Veronica had the opportunity to spend a semester at the University of Cuzco in Peru. And these young people are now at work helping their community to build a brighter and "greener" future.
Happy 2010 from Ted and Susan!! |
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| Meet our Students |
History was made in Cofradía de Suchitlán on Sunday December 6th, when a 23-year-old won the election to serve as the village's Comisario*.
Noé Hernandez was born in Cofradía, and has been a Project Amigo scholarship recipient for the last eight years. He graduated last month from the University of Colima's School of Law. Noé has been the recipient of the Clark Palmer Memorial Scholarship for law scholars who also demonstrate abilities in the arts.
In his acceptance speech, Noé recognized several key people who have helped him along the way: his "family" at Project Amigo, his university sponsor Joyce Palmer, and his high school sponsor and friend Lionel Van Peteghen. Lionel taught him to be a professional clown - which increased his self-confidence; and arranged his visit to Alberta, Canada a few years ago - a trip that "changed the way I see the world."
Noè won the election with more than 65% of the votes in a four-candidate race!
*A Comisario in Mexico serves a village as its chief government official, mayor, sheriff, and as the village's representative in county affairs for a three-year term. |
| Volunteer in Action |
Camrose (Alberta, Canada) Rotarian Ron Grue has dedicated most of his adult life helping others. When he sold his cabinetry business and retired a few years ago, his volunteer efforts have kept him even busier than his professional life had.
A highly skilled craftsman, Ron built the cabinets in Project Amigo's dental clinic and kitchen; bedrooms and kitchen at Casa Amiga; and the computer labs in Cofradia and Colonia Rotaria. He established a carpentry shop in Cofradia and set up one of its residents in business.
Ron has also worked on Habitat for Humanity projects, served as volunteer leader in Africa, and he formed a micro-business carpentry shop in India for people afflicted with leprosy.
His most recent project was to furnish a nursing home for sixty impoverished elderly in Puerto Vallarta. Ron built the cabinets, closets, bureaus and bedstands in his little carpentry shop in Cofradia, simultaneously teaching local workers skills they can use to establish careers for themselves. In one month they built the furniture, delivered it by truck, then installed it to the delight of sixty happy seniors!
Check out his blog. |
| A Special Message from a Child |
In the middle of games and festivities, little 6-year-old Jaczery Guadalupe Garcia quietly handed one of the Fiesta Week volunteers a folded piece of paper. He smiled at her, and returned to his task of protecting candy-divers from piñata sticks.
After the Christmas party, with only his fellow volunteers around, he pulled the paper from his pocket. And then he handed it to Ted to translate.
"To all who are associated with Project Amigo, for this labor of help and love that you bring to so many children, and who without any self-interest collaborate every year to bring us gifts that mean so much to us, thank you for the time you spend with us. To all of you at Project Amigo, I wish you a very merry Christmas and a 2010 filled with blessings and good things for all. Many thanks!"
With so many positive beginnings, how can 2010 help but be a good year? |
| Intensive Spanish Course |
Do you want to learn Spanish or improve the Spanish you now know?
Our three week intensive program in July will be fun, and you will learn quickly. Our professor this year will be Bruce Powell. Bruce has years of experience teaching Spanish. Your private tutor will be a Project Amigo University Scholar. For more information click HERE |
| Help Wanted |
News Letter Editor - a couple of days a month. Edit articles, assemble and send. Work from home.
District promoter - make presentations to Rotary Clubs in your area.
Nutrition Specialist - Rewrite menus at our home for University scholars. Minimum 30 days - volunteer position in Colima. Spanish needed.
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Project Amigo is a U.S. 501(c)(3) organization. Our Federal Tax ID # 68-0396073.
Our mission is to enable the poor children of Colima to achieve their highest potential by providing educational opportunities, material support, enrichment activities, and medical and dental services not otherwise available to them. We provide scholarships to outstanding students who complete sixth grade so that they can attend junior high, high school and college at the University of Colima.
Our scholars are becoming doctors, lawyers, teachers and community leaders. When these students complete college and enter a profession they, and their whole family, break out of the cycle of poverty that has imprisoned them for generations. Our administrative costs are low, and the benefits to the children we serve are high. You can help Project Amigo by using your credit card and making a contribution on-line by clicking Donate -- or by sending your check to: Project Amigo 14 Commercial Blvd # 119 Novato, CA 94949
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