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
February 26, 2010 | Categories: fair trade soccer balls, goals, houses, joy packs, Terrazas, updates | Tags: backpacks, cameras with a conscience, cameras with a conscience house build, change, cwc, fair trade soccer balls, flickr, give, goals, house build, joy packs, love Tijuana, mec, practical love, spread hope, Terrazas, Terrazas del Valle, Tijuana, TJ, updates | Leave A Comment »
{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
March 24, 2009 | Categories: fair trade soccer balls, goals, houses, joy packs, Terrazas, updates | Tags: 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, Terrazas del Valle, Tijuana, TJ o9, updates | Leave A Comment »
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
March 13, 2009 | Categories: fair trade soccer balls, goals, houses, joy packs, Terrazas, updates | Tags: 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, Terrazas del Valle, Tijuana, TJ, TJ o9, updates | Leave A Comment »
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
December 10, 2008 | Categories: goals, houses, Terrazas, updates | Tags: cameras with a conscience, cameras with a conscience house build, fair trade soccer balls, flickr, goals o9, houses, love Tijuana, practical love, spread hope, Terrazas del Valle, TJ, TJ o9, updates | Leave A Comment »
back from TJ o8 – an amazing trip with a fantastic group! Just
starting to work through some images…it will take a while, as there
are about a thousand…here’s a teaser from a playground we made over –
September 29, 2008 | Categories: goals, updates | Tags: cameras with a conscience, love Tijuana, Tijuana, TJ o8, updates | Leave A Comment »
I am stoked to announce that we just met one of our goals for this year!!!
One of my way cool students (and a member of last year’s team to TJ) handed me a fifty dollar bill today to go towards fairly traded soccer balls.
Thanks to her (and the others who’ve donated), we just met our goal of 20 fairly traded soccer balls to bring to the children of Terasses and ‘The River’ area of Tijuana.
I am stoked, to say the least!!
A big ‘cheers’ to everyone who has helped. I’ve put out an invite on facebook for people interested in going to pick up the balls @ Fair Kick Soccer in Victoria when our order is in.
Next stop – placing the order…
right on! Thank you for being so cool!!
April 30, 2008 | Categories: fair trade soccer balls, goals, Terrazas, updates | Tags: fair trade, fair trade soccer balls, goals, love Tijuana, stoked, terasses, Terrazas del Valle, Tijuana | Leave A Comment »
Just a quick update on where our fundraising stands on the o8 Terrazas TJ House build…
currently, we’re at $300 that has been donated towards the house.
Our target for Sept. is to fund the whole thing = $5,000.
We’re on our way, but there’s a way to go yet!
March 1, 2008 | Categories: goals, houses, Terrazas, updates | Tags: cameras with a conscience, house build, love Tijuana, Terrazas, Terrazas del Valle, Tijuana, updates | Leave A Comment »
