Rovers at the Volcanes Primary School

Isa Mundo Foundation knows them as the Rovers but officially, they are the 180th Pacific Coast Scout Group.  Since 2012, we have been in discussion with the Rovers to visit one of our projects in Mexico. Along the way: we did a few presentations with their planning committee to learn about their objectives; countless email correspondence with our contact at the Volcanes Primary School to find a suitable project; and lastly picking a date to travel to the school and enjoy Puerto Vallarta (PV).  After more than a year of planning, the Rovers traveled to PV in May to complete their International Service Project over a two week period.

In the two weeks in PV, the Rovers met with a local scout group, took on the project of painting murals on the walls of the new Scout Hall, participated in outdoor activities around the city and enjoyed all the rich culture that PV has to offer.

The Rovers completed three days of service at the Volcanes School where they provided much needed labour to start the foundation to construct a cocina (kitchen) and a bodega (storage/office). They also met students and spent time assisting them in their daily studies. They also agreed to take laptops we donated to support the Isa Mundo Education Centre at Volcanes along with much needed school supplies they collected for the students.

Although three days did not provide sufficient time to complete the projects, the Rovers chose to take on this important work because it was a priority for the school and for the organizations supporting it. The effort put forth by the Rovers will make the completion of the project easier for local contractors at Volcanes.

Isa Mundo would like thank the Rovers for supporting one of our projects in Mexico and for their professionalism and commitment to service.  We hope we can convince the group to work with us again in the future and contribute to bettering the lives of those less fortunate.

To learn more about the Rovers' projects and activities in Mexico, please visit their blog at www.pccrovers.com

Electronic Recycling Association

The Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) has graciously donated 23 laptops to the Isa Mundo Foundation to help support our on-going Isa Mundo Education Centre (IMEC) concept in Mexico and globally.

We have appreciated the partnership with ERA in the past and for believing in our vision that providing technology in schools can improve education of students who otherwise would not have access to such tools.

To read more about the article regarding this contribution, click on Newswire.ca

Happy Mother's Day!

"Every 2 minutes, a woman loses her life in pregnancy and child-birth..."

As we approach Mother's Day in 2014, we would like to take the time to recognize and celebrate all mothers who have given so much to make families and communities better.

This year, Isa Mundo Foundation is supporting Every Mother Counts, a non profit organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother.

To celebrate Mother’s Day this year, Every Mother Counts is launching the Take 2 Minutes campaign for the month of May. The Campaign is promoting everyone to TAKE 2 minutes to TAKE 2 actions for maternal health. By taking just 2 minutes out of our day to do 2 things to raise awareness and help moms and moms-2-be around the world - we are taking action to improve the health and well-being of girls and women worldwide.

To learn more about this organization and campaign, please visit the Every Mother Counts website at www.everymothercounts.org

And to all the Mothers in the world - Thank You!

World Health Day

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced April 7, 2014 as World Health Day.  This year's theme is Small Bite: Big Threat and focuses on mosquitoes, flies, ticks and bugs as threats to our health at home, in communities and when travelling.

WHO states that 40% of the world's population remains at risk from dengue. In addition, WHO website outlines that: "more than half the world’s population is at risk from diseases such as malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis, Lyme disease, schistosomiasis, and yellow fever, carried by mosquitoes, flies, ticks, water snails and other vectors"

To learn more about WHO's World Health Day initiatives and how to protect yourself and the environment, visit the website at www.who.int

Red Cross Letter

As an update, we successfully completed the Typhoon Haiyan fundraising and will now be returning to our on-going Support a Teacher Campaign. 

We would like to thank everyone who donated to this worthwhile cause, your support made a difference in the lives of those most affected by this natural disaster. Red Cross sent us a thank you letter and we hope to continue our partnership with them in the future.

Salamat po to everyone!

Project Site Visit - Mexico 2014

We completed our first project site visits of 2014 by visiting 3 projects in the Puerto Vallarta area.

The first visit was a trip to see the new Casa Connor project being constructed. The facility will be providing services to children with disabilities and in partnership with Pasitos de Luz.  We were very impressed with the construction and the positive impact it will have for many children and their families.

We were also able to visit the new site being constructed by the Families of the Dump organization. This facility will be a 70-unit housing and community learning center on a street called Hope Road. It will house 500 men, woman and children, giving many, for the first time, true sheltered homes with with many services and amenities.

Lastly, we visited the Volcanes Primary School and donated laptops that we hope will provide additional support to their education projects.  The visit also allowed us to assess potential projects that could be completed by the180th Pacific Coast Scout Group (Rovers) during their visit to Puerto Vallarta in May 2014. In addition, we were able to discuss how to implement our Life Skills Program in partnership with local teachers at the Volcanes Primary School.

We will keep you all updated as these projects progress.

The Liberty Foundation

The Isa Mundo Foundation made its first trip to the country of Belize in December 2013.  We decided to do a trip based on a recommendation by one of our funders who requested Isa Mundo to visit two organizations in the country.  We have not visited Belize in the past because our research showed that the country has the second highest per capita income in Central America and with a robust tourism industry.  But we were informed by our funder that there is large disparity between rich and poor with 4 out of 10 people living in poverty, making it difficult for some children to have access to education.

One of the organizations we visited is the Liberty Foundation which is located in the town of Ladyville on the outskirts of Belize City.  Liberty was established to provide care and support education of abandoned and abused children in Belize.  We learned that Liberty also assists children with disabilities and special needs, including children with HIV/AIDS.

We were able to visit their school facility which provides education to pre-school children in the local community.  The Liberty Foundation's Director, Agatha Valentine, informed us that the school uses the Montessori educational approach which was originally developed for underprivileged children. There is an opportunity for Isa Mundo to provide additional supplies and technology to this school and we will be assessing how to best support the Liberty Foundation in the coming year.

To learn more about the Liberty Foundation, click on www.libertyfoundation.org.uk