Entries categorized as ‘Terrazas’
I never knew that a soccer ball could change a child’s life, but over spring break ’09 nineteen other Canadians and I got to see 52 fair trade soccer balls change hundreds of children’s lives. Working alongside Younglife and Love Tijuana our group of twenty got the amazing opportunity to spread God’s love to the people of Tijuana, Mexico. During our six day trip we built a house in Terrazas, gave food and milk to families living at “the river” (poorest part of Tijuana), gave out 76 school bags, and 52 soccer balls.
Something I will never forget was an amazing experience where our group got to give twenty soccer balls to a school. Once the young students of the school saw what we had brought it was nothing short of a mob, who knew that twenty fair trade soccer balls could make over three hundred kids jump and scream to the point where we were all overwhelmed and even a little scared. What was so amazing was knowing that the balls we were giving to these kids were fair trade- no child labour, and the company’s factory is in Pakistan and pays all their employees fair wages. It was great to give a gift that you knew in no way had been part of exploiting someone by not treating them fairly.
There is no feeling like giving a soccer ball to a child who dreams and talks about being a soccer player, but doesn’t have the money to buy a one. To them, every gift we gave was so much more than it appeared to us, it wasn’t just a ball, it was hope that someone cares about what they go through every day and is willing to do something about it. To see the kid’s faces light up when they got a soccer ball and to see the tears of joy in their parent’s eyes brought the trip in to perspective. What does twenty Canadian teens and leaders travelling thousand of miles to come to a place where hope is strong but means are not look like to a family who received a house, to the families that were given food, to the kids who got school bags and to the neighbourhoods of kids that now have soccer balls to share and enjoy together?
The gift we all got from giving joy to those families and children far out- weighs the true fact that our group couldn’t help everyone and that we couldn’t give to everyone we saw, because we just didn’t have enough, but that feeling swells up in you and makes you want to go back and have twice as much to give. So maybe one day everyone will know that they are worth so much more than the property the government won’t let them own, or the food they can’t always give to their children. They need to know and be shown how precious they are, and we need to show them.
- submitted by Cordell W.
Categories: Terrazas · fair trade soccer balls · goals · houses · notes from the ground
Tagged: backpacks, cameras with a conscience, cameras with a conscience house build, fair trade soccer balls, goals o9, house build, spread hope, Terrazas, Tijuana, updates
{photo caption: it is an important tradition that we pray with our team and family around the foundation of their new house before we begin building. Everything stops, while we pray a blessing on the family, on our work, and on what will be their new home}
We’re home from the amazing TJ 09 drop and house build.
Wow.
This trip was mindblowing to say the least – here’s the short:
1 house build for the Maqueda family – a beautiful family – we got to spend 3 fantastic days with them… Gustavo, their middle son (the Maquedas have 7 children), is our sponsor child. We got to work, play, and even cook alongside these beautiful people.
1 Factory RESCUE – probably the most important thing we did on this trip. Thanks to some of my students from last trip, we were able to offer Ana, 14, a chance to get out of factory work, child labor, and go back to school. This was life changing! We’re so happy she said yes to rescue, and we’re in the midst of setting up her school registration…
52 Fair Trade Soccer Balls – 20 of which were given to a school for children who can’t afford normal school.
76 School Bags - hand delivered to kids who need ‘em.
40 food packs – handed out @ the river (aka ‘No Esperenza’ = no hope) – an illegal squat that is surrounded by factories. We were able to assemble 40 bags, with rice, beans, and the bags for families with children included vitamin enriched milk.
Countless other stories. We’ll try to get some up asap.
Stay tuned…
-james
Categories: Terrazas · fair trade soccer balls · goals · houses · joy packs · updates
Tagged: backpacks, cameras with a conscience, cameras with a conscience house build, childcare worldwide, cwc, fair trade soccer balls, goals, goals o9, house build, house building, houses, joy packs, love Tijuana, mec, our goals, practical love, rescue, spread hope, Terrazas, Tijuana, TJ o9, updates
Just wanted to update and let you all know that on Saturday afternoon we’ll be pulling into Tijuana in style – 16 fantastic teens, 4 crazy leaders, 52 fair trade soccer balls (a big thanks to James @ social conscience for setting us up with such a great deal!) and 75 school bags to give away to children down there….oh yeah, and one house to build.We’re stoked to see our sponsor child, Gustavo, again, and build a house for him and his family…this is a once in a lifetime thing!!
Thank you so much for your support. Please keep us in your prayers if you are the prayin’ kind of person. It is always an intense trip.
Also, please pray for Ana – we are going to see if she is willing to leave her life of factory work to return to school and get an education. If she is willing, we are going to help her out – some kids from my school (who were on the 08 trip) decided to raise money to help support putting her into a private school after hearing her story last year. I met Ana two years ago, when the team I was helping lead stuccoed her family’s house. Ana wrote the test at the end of gr.7, and didn’t get a high enough grade. Now she works in a sewing factory for 10 hours a day, and rides a bus for about 3 hours to and from work. She probably makes about 10 dollars a day, if she’s lucky. Ana is about 14 or 15.
This is huge, perhaps the most important part of our trip, but Ana and her folks need to agree with the idea before we can act. If they say yes to this rescue, then perhaps we can help break the cycle of poverty in her family by helping provide Ana with an education that could get her a decent job.
I’ll update the blog when we hit the ground again in Canada. Here’s hoping for an amazing trip of spreading hope in practical ways…
cheers,
james
Categories: Terrazas · fair trade soccer balls · goals · houses · joy packs · updates
Tagged: backpacks, cameras with a conscience, cameras with a conscience house build, change, fair trade soccer, fair trade soccer balls, goals, goals o9, house build, love Tijuana, mec, practical love, spread hope, Terrazas, Tijuana, TJ, TJ o9, updates
Just wanted to update as we’re drawing nearer to our Spring Break Trip/drop.
Only 3 more weeks!
As we’re getting closer, we’re trying to tie up loose ends, which means I just got to order SEVENTY FIVE swag school bags to hand deliver in Tijuana!!
A massive THANKS to all of you who’ve helped us beat our goal of having a minimum of 50 bags to take with us!
Another big THANKS to the great folks at Mountain Equipment Co-op for footing the bill for our shipping fees!!
Next stop – ordering those fair trade soccer balls!!
Categories: Terrazas · fair trade soccer balls · goals · joy packs · updates
I just read this afternoon that there was a fire in Terazzas, Tijuana, where our team worked last year. Ten houses were destroyed.
Our team spent a week last year working in this area, stuccoing 2.5 houses and painting. We got to know and work with some of the families, and I got to visit some of them with a few students in September, dropping off school bags, soccer balls and some small gifts.
We know people in this community, and, while I received word that friends like Ana and Heime are safe, we still feel ties to the people there.
I’m happy to say that about half an hour ago, I got the nod – one of the houses we will be building on spring break will be rebuilding for some of the fire victims.
Our spring break goals just got a little bit more important in my head…
in hope,
james
Categories: Terrazas · goals · houses · updates
Tagged: cameras with a conscience, cameras with a conscience house build, fair trade soccer balls, flickr, goals o9, houses, love Tijuana, practical love, spread hope, TJ, TJ o9, updates
September 16, 2008 · 1 Comment
It’s the big week before the big trip/drop to Tijuana! I’m stoked, and the list of little details continues to grow…
One big issue we are currently faced with is the new flight restrictions that many airlines are enforcing. Last year, we were able to take two suitcases per person. That translates into a lot of room for extra stuff…This year, we’re cut in half – only one suitcase per person, which means we are having to cram a lot more stuff than last year’s trip into half the space.
ouch
No worries, we’re willing to pay a little extra, especially with some of the swank stuff we’re taking. The backpacks look amazing – I have a bunch of blue ones crammed into my suitcase- and the fair trade soccer balls…very cool! I can’t wait to start giving those out! Our school group also received an amazing donation of about 2-3000 dollars worth of contractor grade construction supplies (tool belts, framing hammers, some dewalt power tools, the works!) from JVD Installations that we will be able to use on our house build and leave for future groups to use. Totally worth a few extra dollars for some extra suitcases!
This time next week, we’ll be wrapping up our first day. I’m hoping to be able to get updates on the web via phone. We’ll see how that pans out…
very excited, but there’s a lot of packing and prep to do yet!
cheers, and thanks for helping make this trip that much more fantastic!
Categories: Terrazas · fair trade soccer balls · houses · joy packs · updates
Tagged: cameras with a conscience, fair trade soccer balls, house build, joy packs, Tijuana, tj08, updates
What a great spending spree!!
My family and I had the pleasure of picking up fair trade soccer balls and backpacks today…
We were happy to finally meet Janine, the face behind Fair Kick Soccer, and hear how she came to be involved with fair trade soccer balls.
We are grateful for her support in helping us meet our goals!
Our garage is now home to four boxes of backpacks, and a box of soccer balls…
By the way, a 2002 toyota echo can easily accommodate 41 backpacks (MEC Pika Plus), 20 deflated size 4 fair trade soccer balls (no child labor!!), costco groceries, random mec biking supplies, two lovely children and all their paraphernalia, and my lovely wife and I (oh, and an ipod & other misc. things like banana peels…) And when I say easily, I mean when it is packed to the trunk lid, with boxes under children’s feet….
cheers!
we only have 58 backpacks left, and then all of our goals would be met for September!
Delivery date: Sept. 22-28.08
Categories: Terrazas · fair trade soccer balls · goals · joy packs · updates
Tagged: cameras with a conscience, Fair Kick Soccer, fair trade soccer balls, give, goals 08, joy packs, mec, share hope, Tijuana, updates
I just received confirmation from our friends at MEC that 41 backpacks arrived in Victoria for us.
I’ve also set up a pickup date for our fair trade soccer balls from Fair Kick Soccer for Friday…
Sounds like our car is going to be pretty full on Friday afternoon!! 41 backpacks & 20 fair trade soccer balls…
I can’t wait – it’s going to be great to be putting these things together for our upcoming trip to TJ.
Thanks to everyone who has helped us!
Categories: Terrazas · fair trade soccer balls · goals · joy packs · updates
Tagged: cameras with a conscience, Fair Kick Soccer, fair trade soccer balls, joy packs, mec, share hope, Tijuana
Well, it looks like it is shopping time!
We’ve got enough green to order about 40 backpacks.
Talk about having a thing for bags…
There’s still time, if you want to help us meet our original goal of 100 bags. (12.25 each).
happy shopping!
Categories: Terrazas · goals · joy packs · updates
Tagged: backpacks, cameras with a conscience, give, goals
