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!