Season's Greetings!!

The Isa Mundo Foundation would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and to thank you all for your continued support, advice, ideas and time given to us throughout the year.  Isa Mundo would not have had a successful 2014 without our members, funders and volunteers.

Each year brings new challenges but with support we receive from each of you, we always find a way to complete our initiatives, one project at a time.

We look forward to working with all of you in the coming year in completing new projects that will improve the lives of those less fortunate in the world.

From all of us at the Isa Mundo Foundation, we wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year!!

Muchas Gracias to Volunteers

During the month of November, a number of travelers from Vancouver heading to Mexico have volunteered to take laptops to the Volcanes Primary School.  Mexico customs regulations only allow 2 laptops per person upon arrival to the country which limit the number of laptops we can bring during our travels.  With the help of travelers willing to take laptops with them, we have sent an additional 10 laptops to support our IMEC at Volcanes.

We are currently in discussions with local organizations in Mexico and Latin America on how to efficiently expedite the shipping of electronic, laptops and educational supplies to schools and child centred facilities we partner with.  This would require us to communicate with organizations, embassies and customs to find ways to work together.

Thank you again to all the travelers who volunteered to take supplies to Mexico and beyond. Your contribution is making a difference in the lives of students and communities.

Electronics Recycling Association

During our last project site visit of the year in Mexico, we were able to bring additional laptops to our Isa Mundo Education Centre in Volcanes.  Since the Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) donated laptops to us this year, we have been bringing them slowly during our trips to Mexico.  We are inviting volunteers who will be traveling to the Puerto Vallarta region to bring laptops with them if possible.

We would also like to thank ERA for all their help and support. The students at Volcanes IMEC are grateful for the opportunity to access technology to improve their education.

Visit to CASA Connor

Yesterday, we were able to travel with members of the Caring Abroad Society of Alberta (CASA) who are committed to build a new facility that will provide support to children with disabilities. It is currently being constructed on donated land.

We met with Peter and Teena Oudman (two of the founders of CASA Connor) at Pasitos de Luz before driving to the facility.  As most of you know, Pasitos de Luz is a day care centre supporting more than 120 children with disabilities - most from low income families living around the Puerto Vallarta area.

CASA Connor has partnered with Pasitos de Luz in building a larger facility to accommodate the demand, as well as overnight respite services and accommodation for volunteers.

Since our last visit in February, the build is progressing and additional fundraising was just completed to begin the new phase of construction.  We met with Peter and Teena to continue the discussion on how to support CASA Connor and the possibility of adding solar panels to decrease electricity costs.  The concept of pursuing grants that could fund the on-going  operations and maintenance of the facility is an option that could be very helpful in the future.

To learn more about CASA Connor, you can visit the website at www.casaconnor.org

Volcanes Primary School

We made it back to Mexico for a second visit this year. Today, we visited the Volcanes Primary School and our only IMEC in Mexico. Since it is the rainy season in Mexico, we experienced the challenge of driving in unpaved roads that have been washed away by the rain. We also had the chance to see the community and the lush mountainside this time of year.

It was a great opportunity to see first hand the work completed by the 180th Pacific Coast Rovers back in May this year.  They spent many hours to build a bodega for the school in order to feed the children along with constructing a storage facility and office space.  The Rovers also had a chance to interact with students and provide lessons at the school.

We hope to continue to support the IMEC in Volcanes by providing funds to teachers and developing the Isa Mundo Life Skills Program which we hope to launch in the near future.

We would like to thank the Rovers for all their hard work and we look forward to working with them again in completing another international project.

Mexico Project Site Visits

The Isa Mundo Foundation will be doing its last project site visits of the year in October 2014.  Isa Mundo representatives will be returning to the State of Jalisco, Mexico to visit current and potential new projects and meet with various organization members to evaluate how to improve relationships and develop new partnerships.

We will be visiting the Volcanes Primary School to donate additional laptops to the IMEC and to get an update on the construction projects completed by the Rovers earlier this year.  We will be visiting Pasitos de Luz and the future location of the facility, Casa Connor, to continue the discussion on how to support the organization. We will also be meeting with our education partners to assess when to launch our proposed Life Skills Program in our schools.

We will be providing updates on site in October and we are looking forward to a successful project site visit.

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

On August 9th each year, the world celebrates and promote the cultures and contributions of indigenous peoples to improve our environment and society. This year's theme is Bridging the Gap: Implementing the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. According to the United Nations, this year's theme will highlight the importance of implementing the rights of indigenous peoples through policies and programmes at both the national and international level working together towards this common goal with Governments, the United Nations system, indigenous peoples and other stakeholders.

The Isa Mundo Foundation and its volunteers have completed projects in various indigenous communities and we continue to support initiatives that help improve the lives and situations of indigenous peoples worldwide. 

To learn more about this year's theme, visit the United Nations' website at: Indigenous Day

Happy Birthday Canada!

On July 1, 2014, Canada celebrated it's 147th birthday. Governor General David Johnston also emphasized the 150th anniversary of Canada in three years. He noted that:

"Now is the time to decide who we want to be on that auspicious day. Will we be a compassionate nation? Will we look beyond our borders to create a better world? Will our country set the global bar for kindness and caring, or will the bar be set for us?"

The Governor General's message on his website spoke of the number of Canadians taking part in making their communities a better place to live, as evident in the number of volunteers giving their time and talent and philanthropists who donate to various causes year after year.

According to Imagine Canada, "Canadians are generous and engaged with their communities. They donate their time, money, energy and skills to causes that matter to them the most. These individuals are the foundational support for Canada’s more than 165,000 charities and nonprofits which in turn support our communities’ social fabric and quality-of-life". 

So on this Canada Day, the Isa Mundo  Foundation would also like to thank all passionate Canadians for continuing to support not-for-profit organizations both in Canada and internationally.  Happy Canada Day to everyone!

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

Dr. Jim (Jaime) Boland

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Jim (Jaime) Boland.  Jaime had been one of the biggest fans, strongest supporters and loudest advocates of the Isa Mundo Foundation.

We first met Jaime in Mexico in 2007 and showed us some of the not for profit organizations, charities and communities he was supporting in the Puerto Vallarta area.  He introduced us to the R.I.S.E. organization, the first orphanage we have ever visited for the foundation.  He also opened our eyes to Pasitos de Luz, the day care centre for children with disabilities.  To this day, we continue to work with Pasitos and follow the vision of Jaime on how to best support the organization based on our capacity.

Jaime was a great mentor to Isa Mundo, constantly exposing us to new ideas along with teaching our team how to work with individuals, organizations and communities in Mexico. Most importantly, he preached cultural sensitivity and to be adaptable to different values and ideals.

We will be doing the first project site visit of the year in Mexico on February 2014 and will honour Jaime by visiting the new Pasitos de Luz facility being constructed (also known as Casa Connor). We hope to find a way to partner with the organization and support the work Jaime was doing in improving the lives of less fortunate children in the Puerto Vallarta area.

We will miss our friend and colleague but our time with Jaime was a blessing and he would want us to celebrate and continue the good work he started.