I don’t want to focus on how much writing I haven’t done since June.  Let’s talk about those in need.

I’m on my way tonight to Ajijic, Jalisco State, Mexico for two months of self-guided writing,  Spanish classes, strolling along the hellishly uneven cobbled streets, sitting under giant shade trees staring at the sparkling waters of Lake Chapala or staring at my screen and absorbing the sunshine of my outdoor office.

There is so much to like here. A huge population of retired Canadians or folks here for long stays over the winter. Some ex-pat ‘residents’ moved from Ontario, Manitoba, or B.C. decades ago and don’t regret it. If you had asked me five years ago if I would consider a long stay in another country I would have said, “probably not”. Now I’m not so sure. Every year, I’ve stayed for longer – two weeks, five weeks and now 9 weeks.

No matter where I wander, folks say “hola”. On the street, in stores, at the bank. And everyone has a story, if you stop long enough to chat. I’ll meet more people than I would all winter at home. I know, I know. We all cocoon from the cold in the winter but in Mexico, even though folks are wearing quilted jackets and sometimes hats against what they perceive as cold (16 degrees), there’s an air of relaxation and camaraderie that is very appealing.

The first day I was in Ajijic last year, I was waiting at a stoplight beside a woman who obviously knew what she was about. I said as much and she laughed. We crossed the street together and wandered into the bank. Of course I asked where she was from and she said the U.S. She’d been a professor in the Communications Faculty of a large university. She and her partner decided to move to Ajijic when the Orange Menace was sworn in. Her partner has mobility issues and the first house they bought isn’t quite what they need, so they’re building another one with more space and a better layout.

I met the President of a local charity (https://lakesideninos.org/) that funds children’s education—Los Ninos de Lake Chapala y Ajijic—and his wife for lunch to talk about their work. They moved from Montreal in 2007 to take care of his ailing father, who’d bought a property close by in the 90s. They liked it enough to stay and raise their children here. He’s in communications and can work anywhere. The charity supports the education of boys and girls who would otherwise not be able to attend school.

While the state provides the schools and teachers, students are responsible for books, uniforms and school supplies. For many families, especially single parent families, costs which to us seem modest–$120USD annually–are out of reach. In Canada, I’ve paid that much for a pair of Nike sneakers.

On top of that, a child needs shoes, warm clothing and food. They found that many children only ate one meal a day, and that their overall nutrition was deficient. That led to donors supplementing the school costs with any stipend so that the entire family could raise their standard of living. Over time, they’ve found that previously illiterate parents learn from their children and become more confident and self-sufficient as adults. 

There’s another program called Days for Girls, which is part of a global initiative (https://daysforgirlslakechapala.org/). They provide young women with menstrual and personal hygiene supplies so that they don’t have to miss several days of school each month. Incidental to that is sharing information on contraception and family planning. One of the challenges is the hold the Catholic Church still has – of course, they are behind the times and still preach that contraception is a sin. Given the over-population of the world and the long-term negative impact of early pregnancy on young girls, this stance is outrageous. (I’m Catholic – I can say that!).

At the street market, it’s not unusual to see girls 12- or 13-years old dandling babies. I thought they were babysitting a younger sibling. But when I looked closer, I realized their behaviours were not sisterly, but maternal. It’s a sad fact of life worldwide. And if the children are born with an illness or medical condition, they are often abandoned—that’s why there are so many orphanages in the area.

If you have a moment, please check out those websites. $120 a year is what—a nice pair of shoes? A mid-range restaurant meal for two? We can afford to give – and the impact is direct.