last minute details…
We’re about a week away from the Tijuana 2010 trip…. Just working on the final details. This is when it can get a little hairy – farming out backpacks, soccer balls, random tools and craft supplies to our team members. Here’s some of what we’re bringing:
50 School Bags for kids – from MEC
50 mini school supply kits – my wife got some screamin’ deals on school supplies, so each bag will have some pencils, pens, erasers, a notebook, and one other small item like colored pencils
20 fairly traded soccer balls
our tools for the house build
craft supplies for kids we meet in the street – there’s nothing like an impromptu craft sess in the street.
We’ll try to keep you posted as to what’s coming down the pipes for the trip – and future trips – there’s some cool stuff in the mix!!
-james
pencils, originally uploaded by James Matthew.
back on the ground…
prayer, originally uploaded by James Matthew.
Stay tuned…
the last minute details…
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!
pickup day!!
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.
janine w/ Fair Kick Soccer, originally uploaded by James Matthew.
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
the ten dollar backpack
I bought a backpack yesterday…they are pretty slick.
Only 99 to go!
the price actually comes to 12.25, but I’m willing to cover the extra few bucks for a ten note!
waiting
children wait in line to recieve gift bags filled with toothpaste, toothbrushes, and small toys in Terrazas, TJ, Mexico.
This image was taken in September of 2007 in Terrazas, Mexico, at our last day of kid’s program. We handed out approximately 100 gift bags to the boys and girls there that were made by parents, teachers, and families of Duncan Christian Elementary School, and given out by the grade 12 class at DCS. I was proud to be a chaperone on this trip.
This year, my families’ hope is to up the ante. Instead of sewn bags, we would like to give backpacks that children could use for school. My hope is for my family and friends to raise enough money to put together 100 joy bags. In church this morning, my wife and I were talking before the service about our tradition of ordering items from the Samaritan’s Purse gift catalog. Last year, my favourite item to give was a soccer ball. I think this year it will be water filtration systems, but we haven’t done our ‘Christmas shopping’ yet. My wife whispered to me that it would be great to do something more personal. I looked at her and said ‘that is what we are working towards’.
Our hope for next September: To deliver between 70 and 100 gift bags to the children of Terrazas and surrounding areas. We are currently wondering about partnering with a group of parents, teachers and families from Duncan Christian Elementary school who have been making gift bags (updates soon on that one, hopefully…) Backpacks will be more bulky than the bags we brought last year, as they will be packed in school bags, so I am unsure as to how many we could actually take with us…
P.S. To see more images from the Love TJ o7 trip, see: Love Tijuana, o7 – I have limited the number of photos due to confidentiality and using student images. You can also view the work we did @ ‘the river’.
Joy Packs
What would it cost to fill a backpack with joy and hand deliver it to the kids of Terazas, Tijuana, Mexico? That is the question I am currently sorting through.
World Vision does it for kids in Canada for $25. I am going to aim for that price, or slightly less than that.
So far, I have found a potential backpack to use, Mountain Equipment Co-Op’s Pika Plus rings it at $12.oo, but they are willing to give 10% off of a bulk purchase (any number over 10). It’s also a great little bag that takes a beating, from what I’ve heard and seen (both are important for where these are headed!). I remember seeing these bags kicking around University campuses back in the day. I don’t know about you, but if I am giving a gift, I want it to be usable and durable. I also trust MEC’s ethical stance, which is essential from where I stand. No point giving children in Mexico products that were built in Mexico or elsewhere using slave labour or unfair employment.
So, a slick pack for 10.80 per unit, and free shipping on orders over 150 dollars.
That leaves roughly half the price to fill the bag.
Next stop: what are the ultimate ingredients for a swag bag for young boys and girls in Terrazas…
