MAKING A SMALL DIFFERENCE

A giver and a grateful receiver 

January the 6th is a special day in Mexico.  Known as "El Dia de Reyes" or Three Kings Day, this holiday represents the height of the Christmas season. The date marks the culmination of the twelve days of Christmas and commemorates the three wise men who traveled from afar, bearing gifts for the infant baby Jesus. The children of Mexico in particular look forward to this holiday as traditionally, gifts are exchanged on this date, not on Christmas day.

January 6 was also a special day for us because we received gifts of friendship and a sense of community here in La Paz.  It was our time to give back to those less fortunate.  

A little background....While cruising in Mexico Jim and I want to give back to kids and we heard about a fundraising effort over the holidays to help out nearly 30 kids who lived in a shelter.  Usually extended Mexican families take their kin in when necessary and provide them with love, food and shelter.  This shelter, on the outskirts of La Paz, is full of children that have no extended family and, consequently, have nowhere else to go when their parents are arrested and taken away to jail.  Some of the kids have been there for years, cared for by a hard working group of caregivers, teachers and volunteers who do their best to make the shelter 'home'.  They ranged from 3 years to 18 years.  

We connected with cruisers/Rotarians Bob and Charles and asked how we could get involved and if we could tag along with local Rotary International volunteers when they visited the shelter on Kings Day.  For years we had been involved in Christmas parties for under-privileged kids in Victoria and wanted to help the La Paz Rotarians do the same thing  - to make it a bit of a special day for the kids.  

Volunteers from the Quilters Club sewed the majority of the gift bags
but we were able to help them with the last few before stuffing began.

Rotary International is a worldwide organization where neighbours, community leaders and global citizens unite for the common good. They focus in six areas:  promoting peace, preventing disease, providiing access to clean drinking water and sanitation, enhancing maternal and child health, improving basic education and literacy and helping communities develop.  Check out their website:   Rotary International

In La Paz there are five chapters of Rotary that meet regularly.  We connected with a chapter that took on the challenge of fundraising and helping others very seriously. Our donation of school supplies and toiletries were happily accept for the cause and added to the growing stash they had collected.  I volunteered to help sew tote bags for each kid and Jim had a fun time filling the new bags with those much needed school supplies, toiletries and a special gift for each child.  

This little cutie would not let Jim put her down until...

Around 4:00 on January 6 a caravan of volunteers with gift bags, hot pizza and litres of juice headed out of town and into the dusty, rural foothills to the south.  Clouds of dust erupted when we arrived and parked the cars outside the shelter. Some kids were reserved; some were clapping, jumping up and down and running for us at top speed. We were surrounded by smiling faces looking up at us, some desperately wanting to be held.  I may have temporarily lost Jim's heart that day!  

I think the pictures will say it all from here...

another man picked her up.  She loved the bubbles!
We are very impressed with Bahia De La Paz Rotary Club.

Juice, pizza, Kings Day cakes....ready, set, go!

The pizzas, etc. were gone in minutes.  The kids loved it!

Everyone gathered before gifts were given out.
The younger ones could barely contain themselves. 

I wandered away from the chaos for a few minutes.
This blue building is home to all the kids in the shelter.  No grass in La Paz.

Every day must be laundry day.

Not much in the way of playground equipment but there was a swing as well.

Warmhearted Blanca Rafael showing the kids her Ipad.
She is the incoming president of this rotary chapter and
clearly puts her all into everything she does..  

Jim with Juan Rafael.  Juan and Blanca Rafael are amazing ambassadors for the
 La Paz Rotary and for the grass roots help Rotary International is known for.

A bunch of volunteers stepped outside for a break from mayhem

Blanca and volunteer Carol from the Quilters Club surprised this young
mom with a quilt for her tiny son.  She also received a bag of diapers
and other desperately needed baby products

This little guy was so thrilled to have something of his own.  He had already
taken everything out then put it back in but he had to look at his gifts again,
privately, or as private as it gets with 30 'brothers' and 'sisters'..

This young man sought out Blanca to thank her and shake her hand (top of page)
because he was given a new pair of runners and they fit.  He was so grateful.
This boy was not the only one who looked for Blanca to thank her.  

Now that's a very happy young man, wouldn't you say!

The young teens were very reserved and shy, sitting away from the little kids.
A volunteer gave special glitter pens to each of them,and
they very carefully took the precious pens, thanked her and shook her hand.

As we cleaned up and departed the kids were just getting
ready to party....tea party that is.

This was a wonderful event for both of us and one that well remember for a long time.

We are heading back to Canada mid February so we'll take a break from the blog then start up again once we begin our northern travels.  Bye for now....

Tricia and Jim Bowen
S/V Falcon VII
email: tandjbowen13@gmail.com