A Message for this Festive Season

As we conclude the year 2022, we wanted to acknowledge the support of our volunteers and funders. Despite the continued economic and social challenges that many are facing, the commitment and passion of our local volunteers globally have never wavered.

This year, we were able to return to Mexico with two groups to assess our past and current projects to see the effect of the pandemic on our education and children's programs. Sadly, just like other non-profit groups, a few of our initiatives and projects have stalled and some completely closed. This is similar in Nicaragua and Peru where we also reached out to get an update on our Isa Mundo Education Centre and other children and youth projects in the region. 

But we are committed to work along side our local leaders and volunteers to both re-launch and maintain our projects to improve education and community health programs. We will be reaching out to new supporters in 2023 to look for financial aid and identify potential new partners.

We also returned to the Philippines to assess projects in Bulacan province and to meet an organization called People and the Sea doing some important work in ocean conservation and community development.

We want to thank everyone for all their hard work and wishing all of you "Happy Holidays" and a healthy and peaceful 2023!

Gracias, Merci, Thank you, Salamat po!

The Food Bank(s)

With the slow post-pandemic economic recovery, rising interest rates and on-going inflation, along with political and social instabilities internationally, the number of citizens using food banks globally have surged. In Canada, the low social assistance rates are key factors in so many Canadians relying on Food Banks. As an example, Food Banks Canada stated that in world class cities in the Greater Vancouver, BC region- there has been a 29% increase in accessing food bank services from 2021-2022 resulting in over 1000 people a month registering to use food banks. We need to support all local Food Banks across the country and locally where we live and work to ensure everyone has access to basic food for sustenance and proper nutritious foods for those who have dietary concerns.

Since the pandemic began, Isa Mundo has continued to support food banks in Mexico and Philippines by donating and working with local organizations and partners who shifted our education projects to focus on basic survival initiatives such as access to food, medicine and hygiene supplies. We also began working with local organizations in Vancouver such as Kids Safe Society and Salvation Army to support lunch programs for kids and students who do not have access to 3 meals a day by providing much needed ingredients to make nutritious food and providing volunteers who are able to deliver them.

As we head into the busy holiday season, we encourage all our member and volunteers to think about various ways to support food banks but also, to think about the bigger challenge and problem of food insecurity and its root causes. We have always focused our objectives in advocacy, not only completing tangible and concrete projects in local communities, but also to provide education and solutions that can assist in tackling this global problem. We know that hunger is solvable if we all work together.

To learn more about the vision of Food Banks in Canada, visit Ending Hunger in Canada. To contribute to the global food shortage and hunger prevention, check out the work of the Global FoodBank Network at Powering Communities for Zero Hunger.

** Stats from Food Banks Canada. Photo courtesy of: Maligayang Paslit - Community Feeding Program, Bulacan Philippines.

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is celebrated annually and globally on August 9th. It is also a day to recognize the history and contributions of Indigenous Peoples worldwide along with their resiliency, passion and commitment to preserve and maintain their languages, cultures and traditional knowledge. 

According to the World Health Organization:

There are an estimated 476 million indigenous peoples in the world living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world's population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.  

Indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment.  Indigenous peoples’ conceptualization of health and well-being is generally broader and more holistic, with health frequently viewed as both an individual and a collective right, strongly determined by community, land and the natural environment.  Article 24 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognizes the right of indigenous peoples to their traditional medicines, to maintain their health practices and to access social and health services without discrimination.  WHO Reference, 2022

Isa Mundo has worked with many Indigenous groups and organizations around the world and in Canada supporting learning centres in Peru, orphanages in Guatemala, health services in the Philippines and First Nations communities in British Columbia. We will continue to provide support via our education initiatives and work with local Indigenous organizations to ensure children and youth attain basic primary education and access to a safe and healthy learning environment.

To learn more and contribute to this day, visit the United Nations website on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2022.

 

 

An Update from the Volcanes Kids Education Program

Our long time partner in Mexico supporting access to basic primary education is need of our help. The Volcanes Kids Education Program and its staff have tirelessly worked during the pandemic to ensure as many students as possible remained in school. The program provided food, medical services and teachers to ensure the learning centre and school remain open for students and for communities to use for information and learning during the pandemic. 

As we transition into post pandemic times with more restrictions being lifted, we have an opportunity once again to gather in small groups to fundraise, network and collaborate to help our Volcanes partners located in the Jalisco State in the vicinity of the Puerto Vallarta area. We are inviting all our volunteers and members to find way to support Volcanes staff and teachers, via funds or volunteer time, to help renovate and maintain classrooms and facilities and fundraise for much needed scholarships for aspiring students to continue to high school.

Please visit the Volcanes Kids Education Program website to learn more on how to donate and support or provide funds directly to the Isa Mundo Foundation. 

Thank you / Gracias!

 

 

 

 

 

Hola Entreamigos!

Isa Mundo was able to travel to San Francisco, Nayarit this month to visit a local and important non profit organization called Entremigos. This organization was founded in 2006 in the town the locals call, San Pancho and was launched as a space to teach arts and crafts to local youth and citizens. But with commitment and passion from volunteers, expats, tourists, businesses and other non profit organizations, Entreamigos is now an important institution that has a strong focus on environmentalism, education, families and community development.

This evident in its large facility that has been renovated and designed from mostly recycled and re-claimed materials. Entreamigos also has a coffee shop, library, retail shops and an impressive recycling program that provide employment and skills to local citizens and entrepreneurs. 

During Isa Mundo's visit, we learned about the commitment of Entreamigos to limit as much waste as possible from going to landfills, to collect as much recyclable plastic, paper, bottles and other materials

by partnering with businesses, residents and tourists to ensure San Pancho can be a model for environmental and conservation initiatives. Through education and job creation, Entreamigos has expanded its model to other communities in the Jalisco and Nayarit region.

Isa Mundo donated much needed school supplies and laptops during its visit and we are now assessing how we can provide additional support in the future. We hope to return this year to Entreamigos and begin to strengthen our relationship with the organization and the community of San Pancho. Visit the Entreamigos website to learn more about its story and commitment in environmental sustainability. 

Thank you / Gracias.

International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination

March 21 is International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The United Nations observes the day to remind member states and citizens to continue to confront systemic racism and discrimination in communities, institutions and work spaces including profiling, anti-religious hate, employment and education opportunities, health care and rejection of all basic human rights.

Since its inception, Isa Mundo has always funded projects that promote equality and access to basic primary education, supported health initiatives and highlighted the lack of services to less fortunate children and youth in communities. We continue to work and collaborate with local non profit organizations in communities we serve and assist in strengthening their capacity to meet their objectives.

We support this year's theme of “VOICES FOR ACTION AGAINST RACISM” - and we call on all our members and volunteers to join us in: "highlighting the importance of strengthening meaningful and safe public participation and representation in all areas of decision-making to prevent and combat racial discrimination; reaffirming the importance of full respect for the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and of protecting civic space; and recognizing the contribution of individuals and organizations that stand up against racial discrimination and the challenges they face." UN website.

To learn more about this year's theme visit the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination website.

Image from: https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-racism-day

Black History Month

February is Black History Month and provides all of us the opportunity to celebrate the many contributions, influence and achievements of Black and African Canadians in our communities and cultural landscape of Canada. But it is also a time to highlight the continued inequality, oppression and racism endured by the Black community and our shared responsibilities to address anti-Black racism in all its forms along with systemic racism.

Isa Mundo is committed to support Black non-profit and charitable groups providing services and aid to various organizations and tackling continued racism and inequalities that are facing the Black community. Isa Mundo has supported and donated this month to the Support Black Charities organization (SBC). SBC is an "online portal that connects Black-led and Black focused charitable organizations to supporters and allies in the community. Our mission is to inspire compassion and generosity while increasing visibility of organizations serving the Black community worldwide."

Isa Mundo provided support to upgrade SBC's website to improve user experience and increase its marketing to raise brand awareness and visibility. We hope that our contribution will allow SBC to continue its work in serving the Black community in Canada and worldwide through the dedicated work of Black non-profit and charitable organizations it partners with.

To learn more about SBC and it's work, visit the Support Black Charities website.

 

Image is part of the Hope Through Ashes: A Requiem for Hogan’s Alley by Anthony Joseph. 2020 Vancouver Mural Festival. Georgia Viaduct, Main and Union St.

The DREAM Project

We wanted to highlight a charity in Dominican Republic that has been doing work since 1995. The DREAM Project supports various youth initiatives that have transformed lives of thousands of youth through education, leadership training and socio-economic opportunities. 

DREAM's vision is that all children born in the Dominican Republic have the opportunity to receive an education and learn to their full potential. It is our hope that our efforts can be multiplied to allow the opportunity for every child’s gifts and challenges to be met with support nationwide. It is our goal to break the cycle of poverty and change peoples’ destinies. It is our dream that the world will be a better place for the children and families of the next generation.

We are inviting members and volunteers who might be traveling to Dominican Republic in 2022 to visit DREAM and meet its staff, students and community members. This is one organization that we have been waiting to collaborate with but we will need to do a site visit to assess the best way to support the organization based on our capacity and resources. We look forward to the day Isa Mundo visits DREAM and forms a partnership to help the youth of the Dominican Republic.

To learn more about the DREAM Project: www.dominicandream.org

TAO Education Fund @ Boca de Tomatlan

Happy New Year -  Feliz Año Nuevo - Bonne année! We wish all our members, supporters, partners, volunteers and everyone the very best for a peaceful, healthy and prosperous 2022!

We want to start the year by highlighting the first official funded event for TAO Education Fund  (TEF) in Boca de Tomatlan. The end of the calendar school year (2021) was held at the rooftop of La Posada Pacifica and coordinated by owner Cynthia Leigh who is also the lead and founder of the Boca de Tomatlan Community Education Program. The event was to acknowledge and provide awards to deserving students and to celebrate their achievements. Isa Mundo will continue to provide financial support to communities and education projects and we are grateful for those who contributed to the TEF. 

Highlights from the TEF event can be seen at the Boca de Tomatlan Community Education Program page.