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eetdrt88
Senior Nomad
Posts: 986
Registered: 2-20-2005
Location: Az/Ca/Baja
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learning to give...
when my wife and I started going down to baja alot,she kept saying how we needed to bring our exrta clothes and other stuff to give to the folks in
some of the more remote areas we ventured into....well at first i kept saying the truck was to packed with our junk to fit more stuff but eventually
we did start bringing down things like clothes and last time we brought a whole box of skin care products that was given to me by someone i work
for....any way we gave them to the family(a couple with a baby)that was running the little store where we camped...they were happy,that made me feel
good.......the way i see it here in the states we have so much its ridiculous not to be bringing down things for people who cant get them as easily
as us
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
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Barry and All
Barry I thnk you have aPoint.
After the road opened. TV.Telephones etc came to Loreto all the Kids wanted to be like the Americanos, just as so many Millions would like to come to
america and be an american.
What they do not know is that there are negatives in any culture, they are to me just trying to better their Lives where it be Money or just Learning.
Before 1980 or so you did not see "Short Shorts" Uncovered Women going to Mass, and all the products associated with "Thrills and chills'.
I found that if you helped a fisherman buy a Panga you were really Helping him Help Himself.
For the fisherman who was lazy, buy his Panga sell it Half price to the guy who wanted to work.
Some [people you can Change, some you cannot, just like the Skinny blonde who will ruin her Health to keep Skinny!!!
Skeet/Loreto
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Then was then
and now is now. I take things to these guys because I have been asked and have seen the need.
Very true that these people are some of the happiest (and healthiest) I have ever encountered in any country. There are a few who could probably be
healthier with a better diet although, they will live, and sing without it.
What is happening here in Baja nowadays is that some of their kids are getting away from these rural places and going to college. And they are
bringing back news from the outside world. And many of them have families in the cities who are working and buying things unavailable to the rural
folks. And some have TV's and they see what they have been missing. (Or not!)
But the fact is, they want to send their kids to school. There are many in the rural areas and all kids go but it costs money and they are very
limited with supplies. This is why I am trying to help. And they asked if I could. I said I would try.
Thanks to everyone who has helped with this!!!!
I started the thread with "Hungry Kids" but it's really about a lot more than that. It's about trying to help some very nice people keep up with
what's going on in Baja.
I am personally trying to do this by teaching them to work with bamboo so they can be self sufficient and not need to sell their property. We shall
see if it works.
I am still taking school supplies and other things that are badly needed to these communities but you will notice that I haven't asked for food in a
long time. That's because of the trading going on.
And I'll tell you what, you have never seen bigger smiles when some of these pescadores get a bag of fresh fruit, vegetables and empanadas! Right in
there with a case of Pacificos!!
I'll bend a little on the preservation of history but I don't see it as a priority compared to the education of these kids.
I would imagine Jack also helps the locals out on his trips because I know he has a love for them.
So, while on these preservation missions to the missions, howz about taking along a box of school supplies, safety goggles in the mountains, or some
kids clothes from the closets for the more rural areas por favor.
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
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Everybody!!
I would also suggest small sacks of Potatoes, Rice, Beans. and the Spice 'Ginger Root" Canned Milk is also very good as well as the older Sewing
Machines. Any thing that can be used.
Skeet/Loreto
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Poverty is relative
To a large degree, I believe, poverty and the unhappiness that comes from it is relative to what your neighbors have. If they are on an equal footing
with you then there is little envy and all are pretty happy. I'm not talking about the sort of poverty that doesn't provide a roof over your head or
the kind that shortens your lifespan by 20 years.
My parents lived in the old country in conditions that most Americans can't dream of and they were the happiest years of their lives. The only sense
of poverty came by way of movies on the big screen, but that was so remote that there was little to compare to.
That's the sad thing about the development projects you read about in Loreto. As people start moving into these 200K homes the residents of Loreto
will, for the first time start to feel real poor (even though their income may indeed rise). Crime is sure to follow as the have nots try to get the
things that they were perfectly happy to be without earlier.
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
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Loreto is Mulege is Bahia de los Angeles is
the same as all the rest of the tourist "meccas".
I'm talking about the rest of the people who haven't become american/ canadianised.
These people can still benefit from our help through providing real work and education and choose for themselves how much of this "modern" world
they want to have a part in.
I took a poll a long time ago in the mountains and 50% of the people didn't want to see change come and 50% did. It had nothing to do with age,
location or poverty level either.
Fact is, more people are coming and I would prefer these folks having an income/education so they don't have to become maids in Loreto Bay to send
their kids to school.
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
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Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jrbaja
It's not that they don't have food, it's that they don't have balanced diets.
And they even have schools, they just don't have the supplies for them.
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this is exactly what I wrote . there are not hungry children in those places they just need a better diet. and this is the case in many cites here in
Baja also no one teaches nutrition.
as for the school surplus the gov. gives all schools the same surplus no mater where it is . if those kids are not getting the same things my kids are
then all the director needs to do is request these things from La Paz and they will be there .
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Well then,
as long as you are happy with what your kids have in school, I guess there is nothing lacking! Except for one thing.
The money to buy the things really reguired in school by the MEXICAN families that don't have money exchange businesses in Mulege.
Are you saying that you don't need to buy things for your kids because the school supplies everything? Like uniforms? Pencils, Paper, Pencil
Sharpeners, notebooks, etc. in sufficient amounts to supply all the kids for all the years?
Perhaps this is true in Mulege but not here in Rosarito or San Bartolo or any of the other places I have mentioned. In fact, I bet if you talk to
any Mexican outside of a gringo enclave, they will tell you about how expensive school really is.
It's true that the school system has greatly improved but as far as money goes, same as the u.s.. Just not enough for education.
And then, if they want to continue their education, you know, spelling, math, agriculture, it gets really expensive!
So, in the mean time until I see well equipped children running around, I will continue to help them out.
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
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Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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Jr you stated.... I am personally trying to do this by teaching them to work with bamboo so they can be self sufficient and not need to sell their
property. We shall see if it works.
this is one of the best things I have herd of someone doing in a long time. this is truly a project that will benefit that community from now on. what
the people really need here is industry such as this to create jobs. this is so much better than a car factory or tourist industry because with the
Bamboo they can grow proses and sell the product all them selfs. no Japanese no Americans or any other foreigners needed. the are countless other
reasons why I like this Idea but you already know all that.
for this I thank you very much.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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Packoderm
Super Nomad
Posts: 2116
Registered: 11-7-2002
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"Without the preservation of history and culture, survival is meaningless."
I feel that is a true statement as far as human beings are concerned. It becomes elitist when a society doesn't recognize a different culture's
history and culture as relevent and thus pushes their own values to replace the ones they didn't recognize as relevent.
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Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
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well at least we solved Baja hunger. we can tackle the education system next.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
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