BajaBlanca
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Posts: 13195
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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School tomorrow! La Bocana update 10 17 2021
Well, the world village came together to make it possible for Tidiana and Abraham's kids to be ready to go to school tomorrow for the first time in
over a year. The tutors reported that all classes were starting up except for one, the teacher has Covid and will be out until Nov. 1.
My good supporter Ray sent me $200 to buy Christmas presents for the kids. I made an executive decision to make Xmas come early- October early. The
kids need two pairs of shoes for school - sneakers for PE and black fancy shoes for the regular uniform.
I wrote to my Mom and asked if she could go tennis shoe shopping and she said yes!
It was really hard since I had been given the sizes in Mexican sizes and had to convert on the spot with Mom on the phone in the store...this is what
it looked like in the store.
My Mom is so organized, she took stickies so we could see who we had bought sneakers for since even the little baby was to be included - the 3
youngest were walking around without shoes.
Mom went home and packed since Punta Abreojos Pablo said he would stop by to pick up the shoes and bring them down the next day.
So, under normal circumstances, there is time and grants to buy the 2 uniforms each kid needs but there is nothing now due to Covid so I gave the
family funds to buy PE and regular uniforms for the 4 primary school kiddoes as well as the regular uniform shoes. Since Mom and Dad went to Vizcaino
to buy everything with the kids, i went to the Primary school in their place to help out cleaning up the PE court and met up with the school principal
to tell her we were getting the kids ready for school on Monday and I gave some donations of paper, folders and more.
The Prinicpal
One of the teachers with some students. There are so few and this makes me feel that it is safe for the kids.
Here we are cleaning up the PE court which indeed was FILTHY. So much pidgeon poop, ewwwwww.
I had heard that this PE teacher is not so kind to the poorer students. As he is actually a friend of ours, I took the opportunity to have a chat
with him about how I wanted the Indian family kids to fit in and have friends and would he help me with this. He agreed. I told him that the boys
are especially good at sports and that this was a chance to have them shine.
His wife is the school special kids teacher and I had the same conversation with her. She was very open and promised to talk to the school
psychologist to come up with some talks and exercises.
I also told the Principal that one day I wanted to come and have a class talk with all the classes.
I cannot tell you how excited the kids were to get their shoes and show me their PE uniforms yesterday!! Tomorrow, I will be taking them to school
for the first day of class and will take photos of them in their regular school uniforms.
Emmanuel
Jireth
Ismael
Isaac
My Mom also went to the Salvation Army and bought out their kid shoe stock. I think they are not taking in donations because she says she pretty much
bought them out.
If you have a cell phone and can amplify this photo of the table, check out the little one near Tidiana! They went pitaya hunting and look at his
face!! Too funny.
So, the parents came to me today and said that Emmanuel's teacher had written that he should continue with private classes. I wrote to him and asked
why? He said that the kids would need to buy 2 masks for each day, antiseptic gel, sanitizing wipes to be ready. I told him that we had a list and
that Emmanuel and his siblings were more than ready. I took a pic of the masks and TP which we had just bought. I honestly believe that he was
discriminating against the kids and I was FURIOUS. We argued back and forth and I wrote to the Principal (which I hated to do on a Sunday but
hellooooooo). She was on my side and said she would talk to the teacher.
I gave Emmanuel's teacher my cell phone number and made it clear that I would be supporting this kid until he finished high school, that he was very
smart and to please not ask the parents for anything, that I was here for whatever school materials etc. were needed.
The essentials we bought today.
So, as it stands, Jireth will go to regular classes and have class every day with Sannia. Jireth was worried about school since she said her friends
would make fun of her since she cannot read. I told her she could already read a little bit and that she would get better and better.
One of the teachers has Covid, so Isaac will continue individual tutoring until Nov when the teach hopes to be back.
The other two will continue with private class perhaps once or twice a week so that they can do anything computer related at that time.
I also saw Bertha this past week and gave her some left over meds we had from our dog Rex. She is doing fine and having a blast with her clay oven
trying to understand its temperatures.
I got a message the other day from Alexis - graduated scholarship recipient who has been working at El Boleo in Tax Dept. for a couple years now -
saying that his aunt, whom he lived with in Punta Abreojos while going to high school here in La Bocana, was gravely ill with cancer. I told him
that I would happily pick him up at Campo Fisher (highway 1) if he wanted to visit her. He asked for and got a week off and yesterday, I picked him
up. Les met up with us in Abre for Juanita's delicious breakfast. It was really good to have some one on one with Alexis who is just the greatest
kid EVER. (I know, I know, I say that about all my students). He is mature and happy except that he wants a girlfriend. I suggested online dating!
Now, we all know that Halloween is coming up, that means Blanca is the candy lady! We must get over 50 costumed kids and I love to be generous since
for some, it is the only day they will get a bag full of goodies!
MMc dropped off 3 bags at Canpo Fisher on Friday and I picked them when I went there for Alexis. The universe conspired to make this happen!!
It has been busy but I feel so accomplished. Kids 100% ready for school and excited about it. Bertha reconnected with a healthy life and a purpose.
I have candy and bring it on Halloween!
I am eternally grateful to everyone who writes a kind word, brings our endless list of this that and the other, who helps me with the tutors and what
a MOM I have!
I also had a bit of a brainstorm and already ran it by Alexis: each graduate will buy one pair of shoes every 6 months for Tidiana's kids! What a
great way to help out their own community.
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boe4fun
Super Nomad
Posts: 1040
Registered: 1-22-2006
Location: Margaritaville
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Mood: Circling the drain........
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Hi Blanca y Les, this might help in the future. We have to convert shoe sizes all the time at our La Paz clinic.
https://images.app.goo.gl/dPNTA3mio8zZKTek8
Two dirt roads diverged in Baja and I, I took the one less graveled by......
Soy ignorante, apático y ambivalente. No lo sé y no me importa, ni modo.
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shari
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Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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I have witnessed discrimination towards indigenous families especially in small villages here in Baja...they call them Indios yes and make fun of
them.
Good for you Blanca for addressing social injustices like racism with the teachers and kids alike....and of course as always my respect and thanks for
all you do for families there.
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BajaBlanca
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Posts: 13195
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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I call them Indians here on the forum just to identify the family. That being said, Tidiana is from a village in Oaxaca. I am trying to make her
proud of who she is. I am a fanatic for preserving the heritage of generations past, especially of the indigenous.
You know that wearing shoes is such a biggie with me, right? Today she told me that her village is famous for NOT wearing shoes. That makes the kids
not wearing shoes clear to me now.
To call someone an Indio here in Mexico is indeed an epithet. It means they are uncouth. I will do my utmost to make the family really, really proud
of being indigenous.
[Edited on 10-19-2021 by BajaBlanca]
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13195
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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This morning!
We were the first in line to go to class today. It was quite a production: each student got their temp taken, then they had gel put on their hands,
then they had to wash their hands and then an alcohol spray.
Jireth was asked to bring in a spray disinfectant for her clothes. We have her covered.
La Bocana is on a clean up the town boom, so Tidiana, the 3 oldest and I went to help out. I explained community service to the kids.
Here is the mess.
These kids are amazingly fast!
and here is the desert at it's finest.
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advrider
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Posts: 1861
Registered: 10-2-2015
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WOW, you have been a busy lady! We hope to be down in December and I will check and see what you need before we come.
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JackFarrellHSul
Newbie
Posts: 1
Registered: 10-18-2021
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The kids who are there are very serious and responsible people. This can be seen by the way they do the work. Great respect
[Edited on 10-18-2021 by JackFarrellHSul]
[Edited on 10-19-2021 by BajaNomad]
[Edited on 10-20-2021 by JackFarrellHSul]
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BajaBlanca
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Posts: 13195
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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Your first post is to us?!!!! Welcome Jack!!!
So, you all ready for the great news?? A donor here offered to donate to Tidiana and family. The family is very excited about getting electricity,
which they got but they want to have their own meter. They asked me for moola to cover the electric pole and they would save up to cover the wiring.
The donation will cover the pole! I cannot wait to tell them tomorrow.
adv - that would be so so so wonderful!
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