A Mother's Determination

"There's nothing more wonderful that seeing your child get better"

We spend hours each week reading articles and publications in journals, magazines, blogs and newspapers. We also watch videos, posts, lectures and documentaries relating to development, poverty, education, health and environment.  These are the tools we need to arm ourselves with knowledge and to be aware of current activities and news worldwide. It also allows us to learn of new initiatives, potential partnerships and to be inspired by organizations completing great projects.

Today, we read a story in the UNICEF website about a family in the village of Banda that reminded us of our own vision and work.  The short article highlighted the importance of having strong local community members being supported by an outside organization such as UNICEF.

As the story concluded "These brave mothers needed our help and thanks to the support of donors like you, we were able to provide it. Together, our support has meant that children like Adoun can walk again, smile back at their mothers, and – when they are older – help build the resilience of their country".

To read this short story, visit www.unicef.ca. 

Peru IMEC Update

As an update, we recently purchased Asus Netbooks, HP projector, education software and other school supplies this week to complete the stage of bringing all technology tools needed to complete the IMEC in Peru.

The supplies and netbooks will be transported to Peru in June by a group of students from Vancouver who will be spending time with the Peru's Challenge organization and their staff - who are our local partner in Peru.

I would like to thank all past and present volunteers who provided their time on this project since 2011. A big thank you also to our funders and supporters as we could not have done this without you. And a big 'Thanks' to Staples UBC Store for their continued support and committment to our projects.

We will keep you updated when the IMEC is officially open for students to attend.

Isa Mundo and Big Mountain Youth Society

Isa Mundo Foundation has committed to support the Big Mountain Youth Society by donating school supplies for their trip to Ara, Indonesia. The Society is part of Little Mountain Learning Academy and will be travelling to Indonesia with their students to complete education and development projects in August 2013.

We look forward to hearing about their trip and experience and we hope to continue this partnership in the future. 

To learn more about Little Mountain Learning Academy, visit their website at: www.lmacademics.com

Filipino-Canadian in Focus: Paul Lorilla

We would like to share the article printed in the Philippine Canadian Inquirer highlighting Isa Mundo Foundation Founder and Director, Paul Lorilla.

The Philippine Canadian Inquirer (PCI) is the first nationwide weekly Filipino newspaper in Canada and remains the largest and only Filipino-Canadian newspaper distributed nationally. PCI caters to the growing communication needs of the growing Filipino community in Canada.

Paul's article is part of the continuing Filipino-Canadian in Focus series which highlights Filipino-Canadians who have contributed to make a difference in their communities both local and international. The article tells of Paul's story of immigrating to Canada, his academic and career accomplishments and the launch of the Isa Mundo Foundation. It is a profile outlining his vision and goals personally and profesionally and what Isa Mundo aims to accomplish in the future.

To read the article, click on the PCI Filipino-Canadian in Focus link.

International Women's Day

According to the United Nations Women (UNW), the 2013 theme for International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on 8 March, is: “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women”

The UNW website states that:"The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March during International Women’s Year 1975. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. IWD is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities."

Today, a worldwide celebration of events will occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the achievements of women. Many groups around the world choose different themes each year relevant to global and local gender issues.

 Isa Mundo Foundation celebrates International Women’s Day annually and we continue to support projects that allow women to take a leadership role in community projects and initiatives. We acknowledge the contributions of women as leaders, educators and   innovators to improve the lives of those less fortunate in their communities.

First Project Site Visit of 2013

Isa Mundo Foundation will make its first project site visit in February 2013.  We will be visiting the Volcanes Primary School near Puerto Vallarta to assess the Isa Mundo Education Centre and see other potential projects we can support in the school and community.

In addition, the Chair of our Children and Youth Projects, will be meeting with local teachers in the area and staff of the Volcanes School to discuss our proposed Life Skills Program that we hope can be implemented in all our schools and child centred facilities in the future.

We look forward to seeing the school and  our partners in the region and we hope to have the first site visit of 2013 a productive one.  We will keep you all updated.

Investing in Children's Health

It has been written and documented by various international bodies and organizations that investing in children is one of the most produtive and relevant investments we can make.   According to UNICEF:

"Investing financial resources to help children survive and develop to their full potential is, first and foremost, a moral imperative. But investing in children is also important on practical grounds. It yields positive benefits to economies and societies. Since the foundation of an individual’s health and well-being is laid in early childhood, the most opportune time to break the cycle of poverty, or prevent it from beginning, is during that time. Programmes that invest in early childhood development could generate considerable cost savings for government. Investments in children are increasingly seen as one of best and most valuable long-term investments we can make".

Isa Mundo Foundation supports the research and work of UNICEF in their efforts to provide better health to the world's most vulnerable children.  We will continue to develop and maintain our projects that invest in children living in less fortunate communities. When provided a safe and learning environment and resources to reach their full potential, we believe that children will grow up to contribute to their community's social and economic health.  As Marian Wright Edelmen said "if we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much".

To learn more about UNICEF's focus on Investing in Children's Health, visit www.unicef.org