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Looking for water for 2 years…and finally finding it!
The past year has been a sad and quiet one for our organization. The loss of Peter Morris, one of our founders and the main financial supporter of our projects, has significantly impacted the current and future operations of Abrazos Canada (AC). Additionally, the limitations imposed by the Covid 19 pandemic have left their mark on what we were able to accomplish in the 2021-22 period.
Peter Morris, Treasure and Founder of the organization, died in September 2021 in his Waterloo home. He has always been an inspiration to me and will be missed by many, in Canada and in Mexico alike.
Abrazos was able to continue with 2 projects in Mexico, sadly we had to put a temporary stop to our work in Ecuador.
The rehabilitation Centre Pina Palmera in Oaxaca received financial support, unfortunately I was not able to travel due to Covid-imposed restrictions.
The projects in Chiapas also received financial support;Paul Poirier from Arthur Frederick Community Builders (AFCB) was able to visit and support the remote community of Albores de Zapata.
Our partnering organization in Mexico, the NGO Madre Tierra ( MT) has been actively involved in the area for several years (more details in our past reports or on our website) and was determined to assist with the securing of a sustainable water source, independent from the governmental supply.
The community consists of 50 indigenous families that have been displaced due to appropriation of land by past governments; eventually the people have claimed their right to a piece of land on which to live, and have been granted the right to settle. Unfortunately, the land they received is quite inhospitable and devoid of sources of healthy drinking water. For the past 15 years (basically since they settled) they have relied on a sporadic, non-potable water supply via pipeline form a nearby community. Apart from being barely enough for consumption needs, this water has resulted in numerous bursts of gastrointestinal ailments from dysentery to typhoid fever.
In 2020-21 Abrazos and AFCB have supported the presence of a hydrologist; he determined the best possible location for a well and estimated the depth of digging necessary to strike water (around 100m or more).
In cooperation with the community, MT and AFCB, were able to hire a well-digging team and gradually, after several delays, the work begun.
Water started to well up at 70m, was well established at 80m : clean, with good pressure, indicating a rich aquifer.
The holding tank in the existing water tower was cleaned and repaired. It was a bit of luck that it could be reused – -no more funds were available for major repairs or the building of a new tower. Solar panels were constructed to power the pump needed to push the water and fill the tank. Pipes were connected to run from well, to tower, to homes.
Finally, at the end of May 2022, the community was able to hold a Mayan celebration to mark the official moment : “taps on! water is running !” and the completion of 2 years of work.
Our thanks go to Madre Tierra Mexico, an organization that involves indigenous communities in caring for themselves and developing the skills they need to become independent in sustainable ways. Madre Tierra’s constant support and encouragement over the past 7 years, with assistance from 2 Canadian organizations (AFCB and ABRAZOS who raised approximately 30.000 Canadian dollars) made it possible for the 300 people of Albores de Zapata to drink clean water and live free of water-transmitted diseases.
A strange and difficult year
The year 2020 has been a difficult one, to say the least. Apart from the many problems faced by our partners in Mexico and Ecuador, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought them a new share of troubles and worries. Abrazos Canada is continuing to support the South American groups although we can only do so financially and perhaps to a smaller amount than in the past.
There will be more details posted soon, for now just two links to information about two of the Mexican projects: how they try to provide support to the various communities and how different the pandemic challenges can be (at times) in a different geographical and social context.
PINA PALMERA (Oaxaca)
MADRE TIERRA (Chiapas)
Ecuador May 2019
The work in Ecuador is slowly taking roots. For details about the past please look at our “Projects” page or at previous posts: Following Peter
The kitchen for elderly (Abuelitos de la Calle) is still being run with enthusiasm and a practiced hand by Josina de Wit but as the number of elderly grows it becomes harder to find the so much needed money – it is not just the cost of the the food but also all the “unseen” elements that are crucial to the running of the kitchen.
Pots and pans that slowly become warped or develop holes, salary for the cook, the oven that breaks down, the fridge that does not cool the food so donations cannot be stored, the cutlery that disappears or gets damaged beyond repair.
Abrazos is helping with food money at this point but we will try to raise funds for some of the other much needed support. The kitchen is now helping over 150 people and it is not planning to stop if at all possible.
For many of them, the plate of soup or rice with a bit of meat and cooked plantain is the only meal they have in a day. Josina always tries to provide a small desert – a piece of sweet stuff or fruit. Some save half of the food and take it home in a little bag to share with a spouse or someone just as hungry as they are. 
Once the food is on the table, it disappears within minutes and some of the stronger “abuelos” help with bringing the plates back to the kitchen. Josina has also started a simple breakfast program (coffee, milk, a bun) but it cannot help as many people as the lunch program does…again the lack of money is the main barrier.
The school for children with disabilities (INSFIDIM) received support in the shape of a laptop and a special mouse that can be activated with nose, mouth or chin. This is intended to help at least 2 of the physically disabled children who are unable to use their hands but are smart and able to learn.
The teachers are thrilled with the project and it is a learning opportunity for them too – -hopefully as the teachers become more proficient at using the equipment more children will be involved. The school is also developing their program of teaching children how to participate in activities of daily living and how to help around the house, so that they can actively contribute to family life.
The Foundation Hermano Miguel (FHM) is now receiving our help to provide therapy for 23 children who could not afford it otherwise. The range of disability and age vary: from 3-months to 12 years, from club-foot or slight speech and cognition impairment to severe autism, to cerebral palsy, to Down’s syndrome. Some of the little ones need intensive support, others are now starting to attend a regular school successfully.
Even if the resulting progress seems minimal, for the families involved it is significant: having a child go from needing total support to being able to feed himself or dress herself or walk unassisted is a huge step that frees up time and energy for a caregiver and helps the child become stronger physically and mentally.
There is a lot to do and we are happy to support all those who pour their heart and energy into the work, usually for minimal financial remuneration. It is inspiring to see the therapists at work using their significant set of skills and experience with patience, turning the most boring exercises into fun and games.
We hope to be able to do more, in time, with persistence and with the help from many others – and perhaps from you who are reading this lines as well, if you feel you wish to play a part in these stories.
CHIAPAS 2018 – La Casa de Las Flores
CASA DE LAS FLORES
…or “The House of the Flowers” an old and moldy building with a small inner courtyard, in the center of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas. It provides temporary shelter for the many children that spend their day trying to sell useless knick-knacks to the tourists. Some children are as young as 6, some are teens, but they all have one thing in common: they are poor and uneducated. Their parents cannot afford to pay the fee required to register a child at birth, therefore the family will not receive the meager financial assistance that comes with that, nor will the child have access to the school system. It does not matter anyway: even if the children are registered they have to work as soon as they can, and the easiest form of work is to try and sell “stuff”. Rain or shine (and this area is cold and wet for many months of the year) the child walks through the tourist filled streets, carrying a burden of gum, peanuts, cigarettes, string bracelets and more, and pushes the ware on to anyone they can see. At night some may go home and take the money to the parents, some may choose to sleep on the street somewhere given the violence that expects them at home.
Claudia Castro is the woman who started what intended to be a safe place for children to come during the day and have a peaceful sleep, eat some healthy food, get some peace form the constant danger that surrounds them: fights, having their money stolen, rape and abuse of all sorts. It took a long time to win the trust of the children, their affection and willingness to obey the rules in Casa de Las Flores (no violence, no abuse, basic hygiene etc.). May times, the children are sick and come to sleep out a “fever and a cough” which usually is a lot more than that: pneumonia, skin infections, sexually transmitted diseases and so on.
After several years of struggle, Claudia has managed to bring a few volunteers to help – -they are now offering basic literacy classes, some math, some general education…but most of all they are helping the children be children! It may be inconceivable for most of us that a child does not know how to play, but think about it: how can one play if one is never safe, never has free time and has never seen anything that is even close to “play”?
Claudia is also spending a lot of time walking through the streets and meeting with those children who are either afraid to come or whose parents do not permit them to engage with the Casa. She talks to them, gives out packages of nutritious food, suggests temporary solutions for the many troubles that the children have…. eventually some of them will manage to come to the shelter and benefit from what it has to offer.
Winning the boys over was difficult but dealing with the girls was even harder as they are more circumspect and would not come to the shelter if the boys were there. Now there is a time for “girls only” but slowly, as trust grows, the girls have started to show up on other occasions and are tolerating a co-ed environment even though they may not interact much with the boys.
Some girls bring their babies with them – usually the result of a rape – -and are learning how to care for them better. I was told that in Chiapas there are over 30.000 pregnancies in girls aged between 10 and 15 and the majority are resulting from sexual abuse.
The yearly “Gratitude Party” happened during my stay in Chiapas: Everyone is invited to light a candle and walk a small path covered with pine needles (an indigenous custom) while focusing upon the things one is grateful for. From this, another candle is lit for the dreams and hopes for the next year; both are placed upon a small ledge and left to burn out, while the smoke lifts all the thoughts and wishes into the Universe.
A time for play and “craziness” starts, with games, balls and balloons, followed by a short speech from Claudia and, the most important part: the meal! At the end, every child receives a small but practical present and the shelter closes for 3 weeks during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
There are many success stories of children who eventually were able to get a paid job somewhere (no small feat given the lack of education), stay away from drugs and illegal work. A handful made it to the USA and found work there. Unfortunately, lots and lots of sad stories counterbalance all the positive ones – – with some boys arriving beaten and abused within an inch of their lives, girls calling Claudia desperately for help while being kidnapped or attacked. So many of them try to make their way to the USA but the majority either return in worse shape or simply disappear somewhere on the long road to the illusive happiness on the other side of the border.
Claudia is not a wealthy woman, she has her own health issues and is a single mother raising her 2 daughters. I do not know how she manages to find the strength to face this pain and suffering every day, how she continues to fight for “her children” and push ahead even when the hopelessness and sadness swallow her up. Yet she does. She smiles and hugs and scolds and ruffles hairs, she is a parent and a friend and an inspiration to all that know her. I am left humbled and speechless… and extremely proud to be able to help.
OUR FIRST FUNDRAISER!
This month we are pleased to announce our first fundraising and networking event.
We are honored to have the well known Soul Sauce Jazz Ensemble generously donate their time and amazing skill! They will sing at the Waterloo Jazz Room on Tuesday May 1st, 7:30 pm.
Tickets are 20$ each. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Funds raised will support the work done in the village of Tonala, particularly the food packages for 37 elderly living in extreme poverty in this village. The cost for a food package (including delivery) is 26$/month. For additional information about our work there, please look at our previous posts.
After the earthquakes in Tonala, 2017
The food packages include staple foods common for Mexico (beans, rice, oil) as well as lactose free milk powder (as many have trouble digesting dairy). We have included cans of tuna, bag of pasta, toilet paper and detergent and we keep alternating delivery of either tooth paste and brush or hand soap, shampoo, etc.
Delivery is usually by taxi or moto-taxi and is done under the caring supervision of Maria de Jesus, one of our team members who also performs regular home visits to monitor the health of the elderly.
Please come, mingle, and listen to the amazingly talented group of musicians! If we want to have the venue free of cost, we need to raise 1500$ in food and drink consumption at the Jazz Room. So please arrive early, bring a friend, and have a snack….or more!
If you want to donate for this project or for another one in Mexico or Ecuador, we will issue tax receipts for any contribution over 50$.
A most heartfelt THANK YOU to all that joined us at the Jazz Room!
We have raised over 2700$ in ticket sales and have made many friends who promised to support us in the future! Thank you for your generosity and support! Please write and stay in touch
After the earthquakes in Tonala, 2017
As many people already know, Mexico was hit by 2 earthquakes this year:
September 8th (8.1 magnitude) and Sept 19th (7.1 magnitude). The world’s news stations covered the events, focusing on the country’s capital and several other badly hit areas, highlighting the damage and the incredible selfless efforts of people helping people all over the country. The area of Tonala remained unknown to most – -it is small and remote – and yet, like many other places had the bad luck of being situated in the path of both quakes and so got hit twice with full force.
This year’s trip included visits to people’s homes, inspecting walls leaning perilously under the weight of heavy clay-tiled roofs, talking to those who had been trapped inside by crumbling cement stairs and falling doors, everyone sharing their story of horror and despair.
The darkness, the noise, the certainty that death is near and there is no way to escape except by a miracle from an already super-busy God. As one of our elderly was saying, she challenged God during the first quake (which happened at 12:49 am) to at least give her some light to find her way around, if He is going to send such terror upon her. “Well”, she laughs” so he sent me another shaker during the day!” (the second occurred at 2:14 pm).
Karen’s incredible efforts resulted in an internet fundraising campaign that is pulling in modest amounts of money, to be used for urgent repairs. Many supporting beams were already rotten due to the rainy season; now they are cracked and waiting to collapse at the lightest pressure. The vulnerability of these people is so much more obvious in a crisis, with effects noticeable even 2 months after the earthquake.
Alongside Freddy – our carpenter/builder/factotum – we go from home to home, looking at what needs to be done and listening to the timid wishes of our elderly: perhaps the new stairs could be less steep so we could climb them easier?
Could the new door be anchored and sealed into the wall so the cockroaches do not come in anymore? Such small requests, and yet so important! I am constantly reminded of how much I take for granted in my privileged and sheltered life…
The second purpose of this trip was to deliver a basic health-care workshop to the people helping out with the elderly of Tonala. Simple topics (hygiene, healthy diet, self-help for arthritis, etc.) and quite briefly presented. My intention was to learn more about the level of knowledge and interest of my audience, then return next year and provide more information on topics of interest to the group.
Much to my surprise, 10 people attended (including several volunteers new to the group) and it was lovely to see them all interact, exchange advice and make plans for the future. Everyone seemed to be on board with the idea of another workshop and the possible topics kept flowing ….definitely something to be continued next year!
On our final day together, the preparations for the Day of the Dead were in full swing.
A wonderful opportunity to bring the elderly together and create a sense of community where they belong and will be remembered. Everyone brought a small offering to be placed around the pictures of the departed elders; stories were told, hugs were exchanged. For those with no family around this is a powerful assurance: “You will be remembered. We are here to create the circle of memories and the path of marigolds to bring you back each year”.
I sit quietly, with a mixture of joy and sadness in my heart: who knows which one of us will return next year on the asphalted road or on the path of orange petals? Finally, everyone waves “good-bye” and “see you soon”; I can feel the love and hope that builds up around us. All I can do is try to keep my promises and come back for as long as I am needed….and yet I somehow feel this is not enough.
Following Peter
This year Peter restricted his traveling to one place: Ecuador but once there he decided (true to his nature!) to do many things at the same time. Here they are, with links to our past blogs, to jog your memory:
INSTITUTO FISCAL DE DISCAPACIDAD MOTRIZ (INSFIDIM)
Due to the retirement of one teacher, Peter is now helping with a mixed “basic knowledge” class for grades 4, 6, and 7 comprising 6 children between the ages of 10-13. These children have widely different intellectual capacities and physical disabilities and “provide a challenge to the teacher and to this elderly gringo.”
After a short reprieve for lots and lots (and lots!) of Christmas celebrations and visits form other organizations, classes resume in January with more or less enthusiasm.
Abrazos has assisted with a variety of repairs in the past; this year it looks like a computer upgrade may be needed.
FUNDACIÓN ABUELOS Y ABUELAS DE LA CALLE
The organization continues to support and feed a “floating population of seniors that on one occasion could number thirty and on another one hundred and thirty“.
This is mainly possible through the love and dedication of the administrator (Josina de Wit) who struggles to plan and accomplish this gargantuan task despite minimal funding that comes in unpredictable drops. Christmas is particularly difficult: the tradition calls for chicken lunches for the 5 days preceding December 25th; then comes the actual Christmas feast (with a little offering for a total of 300 people, whose names Josina has duly recorded)
As Peter so well put it: “It is humbling to know that for some this is the only time of the year when they would have a meal of chicken. “Dios se lo pague” (God will repay you) is the standard reply when one places a meal in front of an elder.”
In the past, Abrazos has supported the purchase of kitchen equipment (remember those enormous pots and the fridge?) https://abrazoscanada.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/parting-from-abuelitos/ but this year In view of the difficulties at hand, we are have decided to help Josina purchase the food needed for all the “abuelitos and abuelitas”.
FUNDACIÓN HERMANO MIGUEL
Here, Peter spends one day a week or more alongside Christian, the occupational therapist who works with infants with a wide range of disabilities. Each session lasts 45 minutes and the cost, this year, is $15 U.S which is too expensive for the majority of Ecuadorean families. The Foundation does have a system of subsidies for those unable to afford the fee, but this involves paperwork and approval of the application. Few seem to take advantage of the subsidy and as a consequence the service offered by Christian is under-utilized, which is a pity. During a morning he would see perhaps two children whereas he would have time for four.
Returning to Pina, back to work.
I have spent almost 2 years away from Pina Palmera. Back to Pina Palmera
Throughout my flight to Mexico I could not stop wondering: what it would feel like to be there again? Will they recognize me? Are the people I knew still working there? The narrow streets of Zipolite with dust, chickens and cars that come too close for safety look unchanged…but what about the place I knew so well?
It felt like meeting an old friend – welcoming and accepting, with lots of hugs and many questions “how are you? Where have you been all this time?” Despite all the long hours of travel and getting up at 4 am in a frozen Canadian winter morning, despite being baked by the relentless scorching sun for the 90 minutes of travel from the airport, I am happy to be here. The people I know are continuing with their work despite all changes in the world around them. It has been a tough year for Pina, they are struggling financially since the donations have been almost nonexistent this year and no help has been offered by the government. Salaries have not been available for everybody; the team meets weekly and decides how to share the funds available, taking care of the most vulnerable first. It does not look better for the upcoming months either – -everyone is concerned about financial changes in the world and the way Mexico is being perceived. However, the work must continue as so many people have come to depend on Pina for support, whether it is about human rights or simply about health issues.
It is December, getting closer to Christmas but still some people come to Pina for consultations. Additionally, the staff continues with the visits to the communities and to the homes. They know that for the majority of people it is close to impossible to travel on a regular basis to Zipolite: distance, cost, heat, impracticable roads, lack of family support for the children that remain home, all make it very difficult for a parent to bring the child that needs attention to those who can provide it.
Tuesdays are the days that the staff members meet and decide next week’s schedule. The meeting I am attending deals mostly with possible solutions for fundraising: selling tortillas, a clothes bazaar, a pizza-for sale-day? Those who know how to make tortillas offer to do so, those who can’t joke about eating them: scenarios for selling and making a profit are passed back and forth. A lot of work for at least 2 weeks to come up with the equivalent of 60 CDN in profit, if all goes well.
I decide to go on a home visit with Sofia (physiotherapist). With us come Mariano (teacher for the blind and blind himself), who speaks Zapoteco – the language spoken by the indigenous people we are going to visit) and a volunteer (Frederica). Pina functions as one whole organism – all members are involved in all activities, some have more specific functions some not but ultimately everyone is a part of the whole. Today we are looking for a little girl who is slow to develop. She visited Pina a few months ago, but never returned and the team needs to follow up, so off we go looking for a community 3 hours away, armed with nothing but the names of the child and parents.
There are no streets and no numbers, there is not much of a road either. Our truck is groaning and moaning as Sofia struggles to avoid the bigger stones and holes while changing gears and making room for the odd oncoming truck. The passengers hang on for dear life and hope that the tires will hold. Teeth clatter, bodies bounce, Mariano jokes about “at least we get to look at the scenery” while clutching the edge of his seat.
Eventually we find the village but (as usual) finding the right path to the house requires another 30 min of asking around. Thanks to Mariano, the shy people of these parts open up and they point to yet another steep hill covered in dust and gravel. Our vehicle will never make it up the slope so we decide to proceed on foot: Sofia leads the way, Mariano with one hand on her shoulder and another on his guiding stick.
How does he manage, I have no idea! I am struggling through the dust and slippery stones, scratching away all sorts of ants that have decided my “gringo” legs are the latest delicacy. Another 30 min of winding roads narrowing gradually to a stony path and eventually we find our destination.
I suspect our exhausted and sweaty faces need no explanations – our hosts quickly bring out plastic chairs and water and we collapse gratefully, surrounded by dogs, chickens, little children and a few goats.
After discussing out little client’s condition and giving advice about how to encourage her growth and progress her walking, we move on to the adults. The mother has been sick and the time and money required to find help for her have swallowed all the resources they have. I cannot even imagine what it must be like to travel up and down the roads we came, just to get to the nearby city (1 hour away by car) and hope that the physician is there and that he or she actually has some solution for the problem.
After a while we start our return trip: first down the hill to the car… and then I have to close my eyes as Sofia turns the truck around on the narrow strip of road, with pointy stones waiting to puncture anything standing in their path. Rattling down the hill, we are bathed in dust and sweat but happy to have accomplished what we came for. I am thinking about what can possibly motivate someone to do this kind of work, day after day for wages that are not only irregularly paid but barely enough to survive on. All the places that no one knows about – yet the Pina team never fails to find them and help those in need. Never have the words “job satisfaction” sounded so inadequate. Whatever mixture of love and compassion is at the basis of it all, I do not know and, as they all have told me again and again: “It is just what must be done”. I am humbled every time. Is it something in the diet of Zipolite, as the signs of the local restaurants are trying to convince me? 
Is it the ocean breeze or the incredible heat? All I know is that the work done here for over 20 years now, has changed the communities around and is an exemplar to me and probably others, to be remembered whenever we quibble about all the obstacles in our path or the many reasons we cannot accomplish something.
Tonala 2016
After a long absence, I was finally able to return to visit the elderly of Tonala. Not much (if anything) has changed here, if you remember our last visit.
No governmental assistance, no improvement in the medical or financial situations of the members of our group. The only palpable change is in the men and women receiving the help – -they are less worried about survival (thanks to the monthly food package) and a bit more interested in the brighter sides of life.
Most are participating regularly in the activities organized for them by the NijaNu association (see previous blog entries) and they say it is what keeps them looking forward to the passing weeks and days, what makes them want to move and get out of their house. Our friend Karen Rasmussen, the dynamo behind organizing it all, has set up a weekly rotation of activities involving literacy, manual skills and exercise. Small scale, simple design and yet very powerful. This time I was able to bring some simple reading glasses that were welcomed with enthusiasm. So many have very poor vision, partly due to untreated cataracts but also partly due to lack of eye check-ups and adequate lens prescription, not to mention lack of money for all of the above.
This year, the Kitchener Conestoga College, donated some kits for sensory retraining and fine motor skills. These kits have made their way to Mexico in my luggage and are helping those who could barely use their fingers, to regain abilities long forgotten. They turn a simple game into a small rehabilitative exercise and make a significant change over time.
One advantage of having a place to gather the elderly is the opportunity to educate them about simple things like walking with a walker or standing up from a low chair. However, for those who cannot attend the meetings at the house, the home visits remain a necessity. I was surprised to hear that most remembered details about my last visits and had actually followed my suggestions about various ailments. After long chats about what happened to all of us since the last time we had met, we parted again, not without me leaving a few tubes of anti-inflammatory ointments behind – something too expensive and difficult to find for any of the aging in this community
I was sad to leave – too little time, too few hugs…but hopefully a shorter absence this time as some interesting possibilities for development are shaping up. Karen has found several people willing and able to help and we are now planning how to make the lives of these people better. Stay tuned!
abrazoscanada 