FROM PUERTO VILLARTA, MEXICO  

Well, Good Rotarians!!  You chose a great place to support. I've lived in "PV" since the early 90's and been involved with many charitable and service efforts over that time.  I am pleased for the chance to tell you why Pasitos is my favorite!

 

Back 8 years or so, my friend Yolanda Sanchez knew some women who were in dire circumstance.  They were poor, yet could not work because they had disabled children that needed continual care 24-7.  With her kids grown, Yolanda had time, a big heart, and a lot of hope and energy.  She volunteered to take care of those children in the day, so the mom's could work.  It would make an incredible documentary to tell the story of the intervening years and how there are now 150 kids active in here program.      

 

Pasitos de Luz means "little steps of light", and those little steps have led to big leaps of progress in the care of disabled children in the greater Villarta area.   From volunteering her home, there is now a center which, while crowded and greatly in need of expansion, still can offer an incredible range of healing and developmental services.   The kids are dropped off by parents as they go to work, and are fed an healthy breakfast on arrival.   Some of the more severely limited kids may require 2 or more hours of hand-feeding and help with swallowing.    Then there is basic hygiene, medical evaluation and treatment.   Throughout the day there is physical  and occupational therapy, as well as special education and a lot play and being silly like all kids.....nutritional lunches are given every afternoon, more hygiene, bathing and physical care to ready them for their parents.

 

All of this is done for an amazing $3.20 per child.  I was showing the Director of Catholic Charities of New York around and when he heard this he loudly proclaimed  "we can't even give a kid lunch for that!!".  It is also all accomplished in an atmosphere of love and patience with palpable respect for each of these little people.  

 

Often visitors and friends are hesitant to go with me to Pasitos, fearing a sad and heart tugging experience.  Yet the place is so very amazing, I have never heard "oh, how sad".  Instead, with perhaps with some moisture around the eyes, they invariably say "what a beautiful experience.  thank you!" 

So, "THANK YOU, ROTARIANS"!   And if you visit Villarta  (believe me you will be totally safe in this town"), for a great Mexican vacation, include a visit to Pasitos.  I would be honored to introduce you to our "angelitos" and the big angels who care for them.

 

Chris Boland's uncle Jim

jimboland@aol.com