The individual homes are supported by a common building that includes a community gathering space, kitchen, and laundry.
EVE Faq

Update Jan 2017

A big focus this year will be on building Emerald Village. We received land use approvals for the 22-unit affordable tiny home community this past October. Site construction is scheduled to begin in March. Once the infrastructure is set and the foundations are poured, we have 13 different design-build teams ready to erect a tiny house. In addition to that, SquareOne will be organizing skilled volunteers to assist in the construction of 8 more tiny houses using structural insulated panels (SIPs). If you have building experience and would like to help out, please email John Cox and we'll add you to our list to contact when we are ready to begin. There will be a call for more volunteer opportunities later in the year. The first 18 households have been selected through an application and interview process, and we've begun hosting monthly village meetings to begin building community prior to move-in. We're still accepting applications. A few of the larger designs remain to be filled, so we are especially seeking couples or small families for those. So EVE will need some volunteers to assist probably sometime in April-May. These unskilled will assist the “skilled volunteers.” I have worked with some of the skilled volunteers.They are skilled!

We participate in this project as a District Grant; John Cox is our contact. Visit the Emerald Village Website.

In Partnership With: Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala
LIGHT AND LITERACY FOR A MAYAN VILLAGE IN GUATEMALA
“Let’s Leave No Girl Behind”

Project Description and Activities:

Introduce a Light and Literacy program into one remote Mayan village without electricity for ten families. The project will target both teen-age girls 13 – 18, as well as women who cannot read or write Spanish.  One teen-age girl or woman per family (if there are no illiterate teen-age girls in the family) will be selected to join the reading group.

This opportunity will be offered to families known to Adopt-a-Village who are currently participating in its Sustainable Gardening project.  A trained bilingual (Q’anjob’al and Spanish) “traveling teacher” will spend one day per week in the villages for six months to teach reading. The beneficiary families will have been introduced to the concept of “light and literacy” by a mini prototype project in which one child per family participates in a three-month reading program and earns a solar lamp.  When the Rotary EClub’s project is introduced, excitement and understanding for the larger project designed specifically for girls and women will have been established.

At the end of the six-month training period, each girl/woman who succeeds in the program will be awarded a solar power kit that will provide basic lighting in her family’s home.  The kits will be similar to those used in the State of Jefferson’s eClub Rotary project at the Navajo Reservation in the United States, based on availability in Guatemala.

Additionally, funds will be provided to pay for half an annual scholarship for a qualified teen-age girl of the region to attend middle school classes at the Maya Jaguar Educational Center’s boarding school.  Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala will raise the second half of the required funding.

Number of Beneficiaries: 

• Whereas ten girls / women will directly benefit, once they have learned to read, those numbers will increase exponentially as they help to teach their siblings and children, thereby expanding the number of beneficiaries to a projected 60 children, based on average family size. Importantly, ten households will have the benefit of solar lighting of which no opportunity existed prior to a family’s daughter or wife learning to read and earning solar electricity for the family’s home.
• The overall benefits for the participating girls/women are several:
  • they will be empowered to read;
  • they will be empowered to teach their siblings/children how to read;
  • they will have earned valuable household equipment through their efforts in learning to read.
  • The solar power equipment they receive based on their efforts will serve to put them in higher regard with male family members.

Rotary and Rotaract Involvement:

• A member of the State of Jefferson Rotary eClub, Osman Castañeda, will volunteer to oversee the project and submit invoices and a final report to the Rotary eClub.
• Osman Castañeda will oversee the education of the girl receiving the Club’s partial scholarship. He will send the girl’s profile, photo and letters to the Rotary eClub during her year at school.  Rotary members will be invited to exchange letters with her.
• Rotaract members of the Rotaract eClub of No Borders, sponsored by Rotary eClub will volunteer to install the solar kits at no cost, underwriting their own travel, food, and lodging costs.  .
• Rotaract members will prepare a brief summary on the history of the village, Nuevo Progreso, as well as information on each family.  Photos will be provided of the family and installation.

Funds will supply ten households with light and literacy in the following manner: 

• Provide an opportunity to raise self-esteem for girls and women and increase their perceived worth in their families.
• Provide one girl or mother, along with the family’s additional children, the introduction to the national language and a beginning skill in reading
• Provide a solar lighting kit for the home
• Eliminate the cost of providing candles throughout the year, (estimated at $100 per year), and eliminate the dangers associated in using candles.
• Provide half an annual scholarship for a girl to attend classes at the Maya Jaguar Middle School in 2018.

email the Service Projects Committee with your comments   Let's Leave No Girl Behind: 2016-17 Project Update

August 19, 2016

Fellow Rotarians,

Many times over the last ten years you may have heard us mention Project Amigo located in Cofradia de Suchitlan, Mexico, a small community of about 1500 people.  Project Amigo was started by two Rotarians 30 years ago, and the project is still going strong.  After being involved in work weeks in 2007 and 2008, we headed down there for a five-month stint in 2008-2009 doing volunteer work for them.  We have now made plans to attend another work week (November 12-19) which is entitled Community and Culture.  It would really be fun if some of you could join us.  There is room for 23 participants.  The requested donation of $1,200 per person includes double-occupancy accommodations, all meals, pick-up and return airport transport, local transportation, entertainment and cultural activities, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.  Add $125 for a single room.  The donation does not include transportation between the U.S. and Guadalajara or Manzanillo, long-distance telephone calls or alcoholic beverages.  Please visit their website projectamigo.org for further details.  Click on “Get Involved” and then click on “Work Week Info,” and scroll down to the section “Community and Culture” to get an overview of the work week.  And, if you scroll way down to the end of this page, you can view the various accommodations available.  If you have questions, please contact us, and we can fill you in.  We have also attached a sample work week schedule, as well as the “welcome letter” we received after we recently registered for the work week.  It gives lots of information.  If you look at the accommodations section, you will see what nice rooms you stay in.  You know that neither of us are about to throw out my sleeping bag on the jungle floor in order to do volunteer work!  So here’s hoping that you will consider joining us.

Sincerely,

Hal and Francie 

Attch:

1. Welcome to Project Amigo

2. Work Week Schedule Sample

__________________________________________________
Hello from Cofradia de Suchitlan and Welcome to Project Amigo!

Thank you for registering for a Work Week with Project Amigo. We know there are many service organizations offering volunteer work trips, and we thank you whole-heartedly for choosing us. We set ourselves apart by offering personalized service and an opportunity to build authentic, long-lasting relationships with the young people and families we serve. When you participate in a Work Week with us, you are transforming lives and providing hope for the future to very deserving young people.

The following information will assist you as you plan your trip. You will receive more information specifically about your Work Week as we get closer to your travel date.

Location: Project Amigo is headquartered in the village of Cofradía de Suchitlán, Colima. Cofradía is located 20 km (12 mi) north of the state’s capital, also named Colima, on Mexico’s west coast.

Staff: Project Amigo’s on-site staff in Mexico includes External Relations Director Anilú Mendoza; Visitor Coordinator Stephanie Mellross; Student Services Director Jorge Torres; and Operations Manager and Amigo Bus driver, Diego Martinez. Other staff members include the student services team as well as cleaning, maintenance and kitchen staff. All will work hard to ensure your best possible stay.

Program Fees: To reserve your stay, please pay 50% of your program fee as soon as possible; the balance is due 4 weeks prior to your arrival. The program fee of US$1200 includes comfortable, private accommodation in one of our beautiful houses, all meals, transportation to and from sites, entrance fees, a bilingual visitor coordinator, and all material required for work and service activities. Alcoholic beverages are not included.

Accommodations: La Hacienda is the Project Amigo headquarters where you will find our central office, common area, and dining room. Volunteers stay in Project Amigo homes: Casa Suegras, Casa Mayhew and Casa Johnson; all are within a 2 minute walk of La Hacienda. Your program fee assumes double-occupancy. If you would prefer a room by yourself, please let us know and we will accommodate you, if possible.  We request an additional donation of $125.00 for a single room. WiFi is available in all Project Amigo facilities. Cofradia has cell phone service, but you will need an international plan for your cell phone. We also have landlines available for use. In remote villages, there is limited to no internet and cell-phone service.

Money:  ***THERE ARE NO BANKING FACILITIES IN COFRADIA*** For the best exchange rate, withdraw pesos as the airport ATM on your arrival to Mexico. ATMs can be found in banks, large retailers, and malls. You may be able to exchange money at your bank before arriving. Credit cards are accepted some places; checks are accepted nowhere. Mexico is mainly a cash-based economy, and you will need cash for souvenirs and other purchases.

Getting here and away: You will make your own air travel arrangements into and out of Guadalajara (GDL,) Manzanillo (ZLO) or Colima (CLQ) airports. Project Amigo provides ground transportation to and from the airport. We drive only during daylight hours so please arrange for flights that arrive and depart between 10 AM and 6 PM. Cofradia is 3 hours from Guadalajara and 2 hours from Manzanillo. If you arrive or depart outside of these pick up times, please know that you will need either to wait for us or to make your own overnight accommodation arrangements at an airport hotel. When you have made your travel arrangements, forward us your itinerary so that we can meet you.

At the airport: You MUST have a valid passport to travel with an expiration date at least 6 months away.  On the airplane, you fill out two forms: a customs form and a visa application. Fill these out before you land in México.  Use this address on your visa form: Calle Nogal #51 Cofradia de Suchitlan, Colima, Colima. KEEP THE VISA FORM WITH YOU THROUGH THE CUSTOMS PROCESS AND DURING YOUR STAY. You will use it at customs and when you depart.

Health and Safety: You have likely heard or read about violence in Mexico.  Project Amigo’s headquarters and housing facilities are nestled in a small, safe, hillside village. All of our staff live in and around Cofradia. Your safety is our top priority. We only visit areas we know to be safe and we drive only during daylight hours. All airport pickups and drop offs occur between 10am and 6pm. If conditions in Cofradia and the surrounding area were to change and we felt that there were risks involved in your visit, be assured that we would notify you and cancel the Work Week with a full refund.

Colima is not a Malaria zone, and no inoculations are required. Dengue fever and Chikungunya are two mosquito-borne illnesses that have been found in Colima. We advise visitors to take preventive actions against mosquitos, bring a DEET-based bug repellant and use it liberally. More information about these two diseases can be found on the Center for Disease Control website. Persons with chronic lung diseases may find the occasional ash from the volcano or smoke from the burning sugar cane fields to be a problem. Please refer all your health-related questions to your health care provider.

Clothing: In order to be comfortable we suggest light, cotton clothing: cotton pants, skirts, dresses, capris, leggings or jeans. We recommend sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Bring t-shirts, polos, shirts and a sweater for cooler mornings and evenings. Cofradia and the surrounding villages are socially conservative and this is reflected in the personal appearances of the people in the communities we serve. Out of respect for local norms and to help us to maintain the great relationship we enjoy with our communities, please save your shorts shorter than knee length for the beach, cover tattoos, dye that hot pink hair back to a shade more closely resembling what is natural and remove facial piercings. A special thank you for respecting this request.

Donations, Gifts and Sponsored Children: If you are interested in bringing donations such as clothing, eye glasses, dental hygiene products, blankets etc, please check with us first. Sometimes we are in more need of one kind of donation than another and we have limited storage space. We always need school supplies such as backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, calculators etc.

If you already sponsor a student, we will do our very best to make sure you can meet him or her during the week. The students are also very excited to meet you, and you will enjoy a special relationship that can be very rewarding. Your sponsorship money bought a Christmas gift for your student, but we are often asked if it is appropriate to bring small gifts such as a book or a soccer ball. Yes!  Thank you again for planning a trip to Project Amigo. We are told over and over again that a Project Amigo trip is an “experience of a life time.” We are so looking forward to creating that for you too!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Monday March 7 2016

The Morning

7:00                  Morning Walk with Stephanie- meet at the Hacienda at 6:55am

8:30                  Breakfast

9:30                  Introductions and Crash Course in Survival Spanish

10:30                 Sorting and labeling of books, clothing and food

The Afternoon

12:00                 Cooking Class with Dona Meche

1:00                  Lunch

2:00                  Leave for Suchitlan, home visit, tour milpa, make tortillas

4:30                  Visit Comala

6:00                  Return to Cofradia and free time

The Evening

6:30                  Social hour and Project Amigo presentation with founder Ted Rose

7:30                  Dinner

Tuesday March 8 2016

The Morning

7:00                  Morning Walk with Steve- meet at the Hacienda at 6:55am

8:30                  Breakfast

9:30                  Load bus for Queseria

10:15                 Work Day at Queseria (painting signs, installation of soccer goal posts, art/literacy                           activity with kids)

The Afternoon

1:15                   Visit with becario Victor’s family in Queseria

1:45                  Leave for Picnic lunch at El Naranjal

3:30                  Return to Cofradia, free time, upload photos to EverSnap, meet Cofradia becarios

4:30                  Explore Cofradia with becarios, include visit to Tianguis and El Café Viejo

6:00                  Free time

The Evening

6:30                  Social hour

7:30                  Dinner

8:30                  Beyond “To-kill-ya:” How to Appreciate Great Tequila and Other Regional Beverages

Wednesday March 9 2016

The Morning

7:00                  Morning Walk with Alex- meet at the Hacienda at 6:55am

8:30                  Breakfast

9:30                  Load bus for El Zedillo

10:15                 Work Day at El Zedillo (food and clothing distribution)

The Afternoon

1:15                   Leave El Zedillo for picnic lunch at Carrizalillo

3:00                  Leave Carrizalillo for Suchitlan

3:30                  Visit Gorgonio the Mask Maker- he will have pieces available for sale, usually                                                around 650 to 800 pesos

4:00                  Walk to Centro Educativo in Suchitlan, meet our Suchitlan becarios and home visits                           with individual becarios

5:00                  Walk across to Los Portales for drinks and snacks

6:00                  Return to Cofradia

The Evening

6:30                  Social Hour

7:30                  Dinner

8:30                  Outdoor Movie

Thursday March 10 2016

The Morning

7:00                  Morning Walk with Jenna- meet at the Hacienda at 6:55am

8:30                  Breakfast

9:30                  Load bus for El Remate

10:00                 Book distribution/Art activity in El Remate

11:30                 Leave for visit to Downtown Colima

The Afternoon

12:20                 Explore El Centro in small groups

1:20                  Leave El Centro for Casa Amiga

1:35                  Lunch with becarios at Casa Amiga

2:30                  Leave Casa Amiga for La Yerbabuena

3:30                  Tour cafetales with Jose Ramon, sample his product and opportunity to purchase                               coffee, visit avocado orchard and El Guardian

5:00                  Leave for El Jacal for Social Hour

6:30                  Return to Cofradia

The Evening

7:30                  Dinner

Friday March 10 2016

The Morning

7:00                  Morning Walk with Stephanie. Meet at the Hacienda at 6:55 am. The walk will be for                                    30 minutes this morning, as we need to leave early for the trip to Cerro de Ortega

8:00                  Breakfast

9:00                  Load bus for Cerro de Ortega- bring a bathing suit and towel if you’d like to get into                                     the water at the beach this afternoon

11:15                  Tour of GROW facilities and Organics Unlimited Banana plantation, visit local schools

The Afternoon

2:00                  Leave for Pascuales

2:25                  Lunch at Las Hamarcas and time to enjoy the beach

4:00                  Leave for Cofradia

6:00                  Free time

The Evening

6:30                  Social hour

7:30                  Dinner

Saturday March 11 2016

The Morning

7:30                  Breakfast

8:30                  Leave for Manzanillo

10:30                 Arrive at Manzanillo for A Day at the Beach with elementary students

The Afternoon

2:30                  Load bus to return to Cofradia

4:30                  Free time until Social hour, load photos into EverSnap

The Evening

6:25                  Meet at Hacienda to walk up to Arroyo

6:30                  Social hour at Arroyo

7:30                  Dinner at Arroyo

Sunday March 13 2016

The Morning

8:30                  Breakfast

9:30                  Checkout

10:00                 Departures for airport

Will you help a Rotary brother in time of need?

Club Foundation Update:  Thanks to the GENEROSITY of several club members, our ACTION to help club member Osman recover from financial hardship due to severe health problems is now complete! Thanks!

Our Rotary brother Osman Castañeda of Guatemala has suffered a calamity this past year due to botched gallbladder surgery. Guatemala medical facilities (except for the wealthy) are some of the worst in Latin America.  With government corruption and fraud at the highest level in history, public hospitals have been closing due to lack of medical supplies, equipment and operating funds.  Patients must purchase their own medications—even supplies and equipment—and have a family member present 24 hours a day to attend to pre and post-surgery needs.

Earlier this year, Osman underwent gall stone surgery at a Guatemalan public hospital and paid severe consequences. Staff lost his medical records—permanently.  Months after surgery it was discovered that the catheter implanted was the wrong size and shape and remained in his body for eight months instead of the normal three-month period, resulting in extreme pain and infection.

After enduring pain for months, a second doctor recommended emergency extraction of the catheter.  Osman, age 27, is currently recuperating from this second operation.  He is still paying off the debt from his first surgery, despite the fact that his employer, Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala, a small nonprofit, paid for 75% of the costs. (Osman is an excellent teacher and indispensable manager of the Maya Jaguar High School).

He is also a dedicated and active Rotarian as a member of the State of Jefferson Rotary eClub.  Additionally, he oversees a group of new eRotaractors who work and study at the school he manages. A dollar goes a lot farther in Guatemala than it does in the USA. If you can pitch in even a few dollars to help Osman pay off his $2,000 medical bills during this difficult time, we know that he would be very grateful. Donations made to our 501(c)3 foundation will be forwarded to Adopt-A-Village for disbursement at their discretion. Thank you for your consideration.