Proyecto Itzaes

Deb’s Trip To PI- Last Entry

Cindy — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:25:51 +0000

After an amazing week I am home back in Colorado with my kids. My last day was spent at the dock waiting for the books we have been so excited about. They were finally released through customs and we briefly got to look through them late at night before an early 4 AM wake up to get to the airport. I was expecting something like the cheap little paperback ones you get through school for your kids, but they turned out to be beautiful high quality books for various ages. It will go a long way for lots of kids in the villages!

I have put off writing this last blog firstly because I wanted to spend some time with my little ones and secondly because I was trying to process my trip. I have waited so long to be part of something just like this and it’s almost overwhelming from a personal side to finally start doing what you feel like you were created to do. I learned more than I was able to give while I was down their and at every turn my world view and thought processes were challenged, changed, or reinforced. Firstly, I would encourage everyone to really examine their life to contemplate in what ways you can live more sustainably. It is very easy to ignore the impact of the things we do on others and we need to be sure we are living in such a way to contribute to the betterment of humanity. Secondly, come down to the Yucatan. See the villages, people, and sandy roads for your self. Help out in some way while you are enjoying the sun and waves, and bring back first hand experiential knowledge and passion. Thirdly, Contribute. The need is great for PI right now, and we could better serve the villages we are working in now as well as reach so many more people with additional resources. You can give in 2 ways: a one time donation which can be used for one off needs, and reoccurring donations which are helpful for financial planning and reoccurring needs. We cannot let another generation of people go on with out basic education.

I came home with 3 pesos in my purse to glue back on my map. No longer will they just be tokens of a dream I once had, they are part of my reality and my current experiences which will include taking my kids on trips to the jungles of the Yucatan so that they can see a big, great, beautiful world they can impact and change for the better.

Slow down and be excellent. Thanks for reading.

Deb’s trip to PI Day 6: “Sustainability”

Cindy — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:00:23 +0000

Buenos Dias! Yesterday was a lovely day going into Merida and seeing some sights while running administrative errands and also visiting several of the PI buildings and meeting the local volunteers here. I am so at home and at peace in these little villages and have been greeted with kindness from so many people and families that really aren’t much different from yours and mine. While sitting in a cinder block home with a family barely scraping by on limited means I watched a girl about my daughters age sit in her mom’s lap and in a typical 9 year old voice ask for a burrito (“burritoooooo poooooooorfavoorrrr?”). We sat and joked about politics, talked about the weather, and dreams for the future. While in Merida with a lady who has a daughter about to graduate from high school, thanks to the support of PI. We walked by a clothing store where she saw a dress she so badly wanted to buy for her daughter’s graduation, but it would have cost her about 3 months of wages, about $80 USD. As a mother myself it made me sad my new friend couldn’t give her daughter the dress of her dreams, but as a mother I also understood the pride in watching your children accomplish something amazing, being the first person in your family graduate to from high school, and wanting to bless them with something special for the occasion. We often distance our selves mentally from people in developing nations, but they are humans like you and I, with lives, dreams, ambitions and pain.

The sustainability of PI is very exciting and encouraging to me as it means that more can be done with limited resources. If you check out our “about” page above you will find: “PI Yucatán is a community effort and every learner at Proyecto Itzaes is also a teacher. This is reflected in the motto of the project: Kaambal U tia’al Ka’ansaj, Aprender para Enseñar, Learning in Order to Teach.” This is true sustainability; you should be working your self out of a job. In an ideal world every PI center would be run by locals, for locals, and operating on very few if any resources from the states. We are not there yet, but we can be. I went to compose a blog post yesterday but when I sat down and I had no words to eloquently pull together. Words cannot do this place and people justice, and no words can describe the need as well. As you walk around you feel like we have a window at this moment in time for change, progress, and breakthrough, but there are simple barriers in the way that can be torn down by simple measures. We just need to do something about it. George Washington Carver said, “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom,” and this could not be more true hear in the villages around Merida.

We are still waiting on getting the books through customs, tonight we are going to go check out some after school programs, and tomorrow I’ll be sitting in on a plant cloning class. I’m not ready to go home in 48 hours.

Deb’s Trip to PI Day 5: Dia de las Madres

Cindy — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:08:32 +0000

Today was a fantastically relaxed day hanging around Chicxulub Puerto paddling in the warm ocean water and joining in a game of volleyball with a local family on the beach. After seeing the sights I am broken over the relative wealth in Merida overflowing into beautiful beach homes here in Chicxulub Puerto, and just a stones throw away the stark contrast of people living in trash homes in the swamps. Today is Mothers Day in the US, it was 3 days ago here in Mexico. During the pick up game of volley ball I played today I spoke to 6 young girls and their moms in broken English and Spanish. At the end of the game when the sun had set, the kids who had been hugging me and making up cheers for our team were loaded up into the back of a pick up an drove off to their home, perhaps the swamp, perhaps a cinderblock house in Progresso, perhaps to an apartment in Merida. My heart broke for the mother as she urged me to speak english to the girls because, as she said in broken English, her dream is for them to learn so they have more opportunities in the future. However, the practical reality is that they wont even get the chance to go to high school, or possibly even finish elementary school. In 20 years time they might bring their kids to the beach and ask some stranger form Colorado to speak a bit of English to help them learn. We can’t let mothers make the choice of only sending one child to school, or having to pull their kids out of school to help earn money for the family. The people of the Yucatan can take advantage of the public education that is available to them and generations can be given the chance to change things in their community. The problem is getting them to school as well as getting them prepared for school. This is what PI is doing here on the ground and why we need resources to continue. Please check out the donation page and consider making a one time donation or join our 2012 fundraising campaign MayaHelp and give $7 a paycheck. The Yucatan Peninsula and her people deserve more. Feliz dia de las Madres!

Deb’s Trip to PI Day 4- “Dirt Roads”

Cindy — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:48:52 +0000

Despite the fact it has been a jammed pack few days this place has won my heart over at every turn. We have been running around working on general administrative stuff, but every person I have encountered has been kind, open, and generous. This is truly an amazing and beautiful place that is in desperate need of the opportunity to develop further and grow in a global economy. The most precious thing I have seen was going into Ixil to visit the PI building. We saw a young girl, probably about 11, walking down a dirt road with her PI bag swung over her shoulder returning home after going to the book exchange. I wish I would have had a camera in hand in that split second to capture the moment as dust she kicked up with each step made a slight haze in the sun light beating down on her. The people that PI works with are extremely poor, we all know that. What I don’t think we remember is that they simply don’t have the opportunity to not be in poverty at this point. It is not a lack of desire or motivation to uplift the community, it is a lack of means. Even more so, it’s not just about putting plaster up on the cinderblock or paying for trash service so the kids don’t have to play in a yard full of broken glass. The needs are even more basic than that: literacy, medicine, and clean water. The beauty I have seen in PI is that it is a sustainable model. We are training up the local community to promote grass roots solutions in their own home. In this way the resources donated go farther and do more than they would with other non-profits running a different model. I know I have a part to play here and I cannot go on in life without being part of something making impact, something making real change, and something beautiful. If we start to see more children proudly walking down dirt roads with new books in hand who knows what this peninsula will look like in 20 years time.

Deb’s Trip to PI: Off to the Villiages

Cindy — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:30:21 +0000

Alright everyone, we are headed out to the villages of Ixil and Too where I will get to see some of the work on the ground that PI does and meet the volunteers and the local community. More to come…

Deb’s trip to PI: DAY 3- “Living the Dream”

Cindy — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:32:52 +0000

Currently I am sitting out on Simon’s deck listening to the wind blow through the palm trees, quite loudly I might add. I am listening to the beautiful sound of a bird which which I imagine to be bright tropical colors (probably just a pigeon) and I can smell the ocean as the sun breaks through, what if any, morning mist was left over; I want to hang up a hammock and lay here forever. I actually feel guilty for the times I have come down to Mexico in the past without the intent of just being here, living here, interacting with and simply being a local. It’s not that my trips in the past were wrong or unhelpful to me and the world, it’s just that I appreciate this model of traveling so much much more now that I have done it. Simon doesn’t know but I have my next two trips secretly planed out in my head, one of which involves him taking my kids scuba diving with sharks. He told me the story of how Cindy found this little costal town by taking a road trip through Mexico in the 70′s just to experience Mexico as a local, then found her way to Chicxulub Puerto and has been here for extended periods of time every year since then. It makes me reflect on my life and where I’m at with 3 young kids, custody disagreements, a house, investment properties, finishing up my MBA, and a job with a huge publishing company, but then deep in my soul wanting so badly to jump in a VW bus and just drive south, much like in the movie “180 South,” and make a life out of aimless road trips, cheap tacos, conservation and humanitarian projects. Where is the balance? How do I live a life that is fulfilling when at times I feel so unfulfilled living in the suburbs of Denver? I guess that’s what I am trying to sort out in my heart during this trip. Maybe it’s God’s voice speaking to me, the Universe trying to communicate, or it’s the extra oxygen in the air from being at sea level, but I know that I have a role to play here and that I cannot go back to the road I was on just a few months ago of a shallow self centered existence. I want more than anything for my kids to see this place, know this place, speak Spanish without an American accent like Simon does, so that their world can be big and beautiful and amazing and full of possibilities. When I wrote mis hijos this morning I said, “I drove into the big city Merida yesterday and on the way I saw houses made out of sticks, rocks, and trash. It was very sad to see people living that way and I am so happy you supported me coming down here so I can help them in some way. I can’t wait to bring you down here.” I want them to join me on this adventure, but I am still mapping out that adventure or my self. I need to take a step back and evaluate how my dreams and passions are truly effecting my day to day existence. Although it’s a morbid thought, the worst thing I can think of is dying with regrets, dying without ever having done something for those who existed with me on the earth and those that will come into existence after I am gone. I want to have lived life well, die proudly, and with the respect of my children. I wanted to leave you with some profound words this morning or some inspirational quote, but my poetic skills haven’t kicked in yet. So I leave you with this, which is the summation of my late night save-the-world conversations thus far: Slow down and be excellent.

Deb’s trip to PI: Day 1- Dreaming Big Again

Cindy — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:33:43 +0000

“Well, me and my 25 pesos are here in Chicxulub Puerto. I got in late last night and after fumbling around the airport like a tourist, got through security, found Simon, and headed into this beautiful beach town. I am shocked at how safe I feel here (which is a welcome change for some of my other travels into Mexico) as I walked along the shore into the wee hours of the morning discussing PI and what the this organization could be an do in our wildest dreams. It is refreshing to be dreaming big again like I did as a college student, but this time with the potential means to actually make a difference in this nation. Yucatan is truly a forgotten paradise with beautiful people and a beautiful culture, only about 200 miles off the cost of Florida, that at this moment in time is at a cross roads of major humanitarian and environmental problems or renewed prosperity. I cannot express the overwhelming contentment in my heart at this very moment as I sit in a beautiful Spanish style home, listening to the ocean breeze blow thorough the palm trees, sipping on coffee and eating a fresh mango. For today the plan is to head into Merida to take care of some PI administrative things and possibly pick up 600 books that were donated by Alma Flor Ada, if they are through customs. This is my update for yesterday as I didn’t get a chance to send one off, but I will send one tonight after my adventures, so stay tuned!”

Deb’s Trip to PI: “Taking pesos off the map…”

Cindy — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:05:57 +0000

“Today I took 25 pesos off a large world map hanging on my wall that I use to help teach my kids about geography and a global economy. We have coins from various countries as well as clothing tags and food stickers from all over the world. My name is Deborah Allen and I live in Centennial, CO with my 3 children, Makayla (9), Israel (7) and Gabe (3). I have recently started volunteering with Proyecto Itzaes as the International Development Coordinator and tomorrow I have the opportunity to travel down to the Yucatan and see the work, effort, and beauty for my self. You might ask yourself why a single mom in Colorado would use her time money and energy to see kids reading books in 100 degree weather, 1500 miles away. Throughout high school and college I participated in many trips into Baja helping out with various groups working into border towns. It was always my life plan to be involved in some way with philanthropic efforts in Mexico. However, life goes on, college ends, children are born, jobs become a necessity, divorce becomes an unwelcome reality, and your idealized dreams of changing the world get pushed to the back ground. The most interaction I could hope to have with Mexico came from cruise ships, which while beautiful and relaxing only emphasized the lack of fulfillment of my youthful idealism.

The only remembrance of my passion were 25 pesos I had collected in my travels which were glued to Mexico on my vintage looking map that complimented the decor of my living room. This will all change tomorrow when I jump on an airplane with 25 pesos in my pocket and travel down to visit Proyecto Itzaes, not as a tourist looking to get a tan and enjoy a taco, and not as an idealistic high schooler with more passion than ability. I go down as a partner in a dream to see whole villages uplifted through education, commitment, and grass roots sustainable solutions. 25 pesos is about the same amount of money a Maya villager might make in a day, on a good day that is. I don’t know exactly what I will find when I go down there, but I do know that I go this time with a renewed (and perhaps idealistic) passion and partnership with an organization that is making a real change in the lives of generations of people. I’m ready to take the pesos off the map, ready to pick up the bits of passion I have found over the years and put them to work for real change in a nation that has won my heart.”

The Y Song

Cindy — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:35:22 +0000

Dear Friends of Proyecto Itzaes,

Make sure you click on the link to the amazing video below!

At Proyecto Itzaes (PI) we are embracing 2012 as a time of renewal and positive change in our villages and throughout the Maya world. In that spirit we have launched a 2012 fundraising campaign with a goal of reaching 1300 new supporters who will be willing to contribute just $7 of each paycheck this year. That is equal to just one fancy latte or coffee drink a week and will help us provide the much needed resources for children and families in Yucatán. What can you do? Forward this email! Visit the PI Facebook page and us! Ask us for a PI t-shirt and wear it proudly. Come to Yucatán and see first hand what we do.

2012 news:

Several more of our exceptional and pioneering college students will be graduating this year and have continued their teaching and mentoring to younger PI students while balancing a heavy load of university courses, work, and family. They are the future and they are wonderful and inspirational. Javier Garcia Itza, currently studying law at the Autonomous University of the Yucatan (UADY) had the opportunity to attend along with PI board member and Stanford senior Erica Fernandez a special conference for Latin American youth in Panama with Dr. Jane Goodall. And on a more local note, Javi has the opportunity now to visit Stanford in April 2012 and share his thoughts on PI and the opportunities he has experienced.

Our libraries received two timely gifts of books. Award winning (and heart winning) children’s book author, Alma Flor Ada presented PI with a generous gift of books for young readers, including many books with accompanying CD’s. In Alma Flor’s beautiful book, Gathering the Sun, young readers learn the alphabet with the help of gorgeous illustrations and beautiful song, including the letter Y representing Yucatan! PI students have recorded their own rendition of the Y song along with traditional instrumentation. YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2WR72bCkbc&context=C41f00bdADvjVQa1PpcFNGFBYlCAz1e6lexeojuG3EZtdmWLiCLKA=

Mil gracias Alma Flor Ada! Te queremos!

Students from Los Altos High School raised $5000 for books for Proyecto Itzaes village libraries through the One Dollar For Life (ODFL) Organization with the guidance of inspiring teacher Robert Freeman, founder of ODFL. Stanford student Diana Chou has been working hard to seek out in-kind discounted shipping. This is an excellent example of how by working together we can create amazing change.

Each week in each village families arrive to exchange books, read aloud to their children, participate in family based programs and most importantly to acquire and strengthen the skills that improve life in their own communities. We hear often these days the phrase “be the change” and I am humbled by how so many women and children in Yucatán are indeed in their humble villages.

Another heartening trend we are thrilled to see are the growing number of travelers, especially those with children, who contact us before traveling because they feel strongly about giving back to the places they are visiting. What an important and valuable way to educate your children about the meaning and value of philanthropy and this gives me great hope that people are venturing beyond their resort experiences and looking for ways to give back. Any help spreading the news about PI to travelers would be much appreciated!

We are also gearing up for spring and summer programs and need resources and supplies. Our summer programs especially seek to fill the gaps in students development, education and experiences and require everything from dozens of soccer balls, to amazing quantities of glue, paper, glitter, and stickers, hours and hours of book reading, sports, dance, plays, Maya music, gardening and much more. We manage this on a shoestring but could do much, much more with additional resources

In 2012— you too can be the change yourself by helping thousands of Maya children and families achieve the next step whether that is continuing to middle school, high school, or the university; or if it means that grandparents in the villages learned to read by sharing with grandchildren and also communicated their valuable traditional knowledge. Your help; every centavo, every penny, really does matter.

Gracias a todos and please help us find those 1300 new supporters!

Mil gracias, Dios Bo’otik, thank you

Cindy

Proyecto Itzaes Thanksgiving

Cindy — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:57:29 +0000

Ka’ambal U tia’al Ka’ansaj – Aprender para Enseñar – Learning in Order to Teach
Dear Friends of Proyecto Itzaes
Queridos Amigos de Proyecto Itzaes
At the close of this Thanksgiving weekend while reflecting on all of the things I am grateful for, I am writing to thank all of you for your support of Proyecto Itzaes (PI) What kept Proyecto Itzaes programs vital in the past year was all of you—our dedicated, very personal, community of donors who gave generously in another tremendously difficult year. The families of Proyecto Itzaes thank you from their hearts. The hard work and impressive accomplishments in PI villages illustrate how your generosity affects real families; buying essential books and school supplies, building literacy and skills, and conserving cultural and biological diversity. Thank you!
In 2011 PI:
• Served thousands of children and families in poor villages in Yucatán, providing early childhood reading programs that create literacy across generations for Maya families.
• Supported exciting summer enrichment programs including reading, tutoring, computer skills classes, dance, crafts, hands-on science, sustainable gardening, reforestation, ecology, and summer sports programs.
• Provided resources for special needs children and their families.
• Assisted eight university students with scholarships that enabled them to stay in school one of whom, Pastorita, graduated in June!
• Two PI asesores. Javier Garcia Itza who began in PI when he was just six and is now in law school and PI board member, Erica Fernandez, a senior at Stanford University were chosen to participate in the Latin American and Caribbean youth leadership program in Panama with Dr. Jane Goodall. Congratulations, Javi and Erica! And mil gracias to Dr. Jane!
• And much more! Visit our website (and pass on to friends) to read more: http://wp.proyectoitzaesusa.org

Proyecto Itzaes’ continued success depends upon the leadership and tireless work of village families, local leaders and you. Please give generously this year and know that your gift goes directly to those in Yucatán who have dedicated their own time, skills, and very limited economic resources to changing their own communities.

Our Proyecto Itzaes holiday fund raising card will be in your mailbox soon. Please watch for it, enjoy the photos, and please include us in your holiday giving. Your gift truly does matter. If you are on this email list but not receiving our mailing list please contact us with your mailing address to receive our 2011 card.

PI is now on Facebook so add us to your page and help spread the work of PI!

http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Proyecto-Itzaes/150081958284

Some highlights:
Proyecto Itzaes programs rely upon our asesores (mentors) who take what they have learned and pass it on to younger students in their own communities. Many of our long-term asesores, now in high school and college, are juggling school, homework, and jobs but still commit precious time each week to teaching and guiding younger students. Mil gracias asesores!

To read more about what your gifts have helped achieve in the rest of Proyecto Itzaes’ villages visit our website and browse the photos and stories. http://wp.proyectoitzaesusa.org
PI is now on Facebook so please add us to your page and spread the word

http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Proyecto-Itzaes/150081958284