Posted on December 5th, 2024
| 2025 will be a big year for Amistad Canada… It’s our quinceañera! Since 2010, generous Canadians have donated over $3,500,000 in support of health and education projects, initially in San Miguel de Allende and now across Mexico. And we expect to enter 2025 well above $4,000,000. ¡Gracias a todos! |
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| Among the new initiatives underway for the New Year… The AC-Caminos de Agua Clean Water Access Project is being expanded to a second community. San Pedro de la Sierra is about 90 minutes from San Miguel (given current highway construction). There’s no direct reliable source of water so 60+ families rely on two inadequate and infrequently filled municipal cisterns. |
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| The CDA team has begun weekly training sessions with 26 families (photo above) and reports system construction is likely to begin in January. Canadian donations paid for 18 large rainwater catchment cisterns. More about San Pedro and the project HERE. And, two AC Partners are collaborating to Feed the Mind of students in rural communities around San Miguel de Allende. Feed the Hungry and la Biblioteca SMA will be making books available to campo children who might never come to the city, never mind the library, using FTH’s well-established food delivery operation. More about this innovative program to come. |
| TWO DONATION MATCHING OPPORTUNITIES Throughout December, all donations to EEESMA–School for the Deaf will be matched up to $12,000 CDN. And, the same offer applies to donations made to la Biblioteca SMA before the end of 2024. https://www.amistadcanada.org/donate/ |
| Wondering what our 17 Project Partners were up to in 2024? Here are links to their year-end reports, newsletters and recent social media posts: |
| APAC (Assn. for People with Cerebral Palsy) La Biblioteca SMA Caminos de Agua La Fundación Catalina Don Diego Foundation EESMA School for the Deaf Feed the Hungry SMA IXIM (Tseltal Community Development) Jóvenes Adelante Mujeres en Cambio Opera San Miguel Patronato pro Niños Programa pro Niños Incapacitados ProMusica SMA SOME-So Others May Eat Tepoz Rosa Un Nuevo Amanecer |
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| COMING EVENTS: |
 La Biblioteca SMA will be closed on December 12 & 25 (and closing early on Dec 24 & 31), but is busy with seasonal events almost every other day. The Amistad Canada-supported Children’s Choir performs three free concerts: Wednesday, Dec. 18, 6pm at Templo de la Tercera Orden; Friday, Dec. 20, 7:30pm at Templo del Oratorio; and Saturday, Dec. 21, 6pm at Casa Cristal, Ancha de San Antonio #1. For the full calendar of Biblioteca events, click HERE. |
 Wednesday, December 4: Mujeres en Cambio honours its donors and sponsors with a fiesta at Bekeb artisanal mixology bar (Mesones 14, SMA). More info HERE. |
 Saturday, December 7 (and the first Saturday of every month), from 10am-2pm: The holiday edition of the Heart to Heart Bazaar features amazing deals on clothing; buy one item, get a second item of equal or lesser value for free! All to benefit Patronato Pro Niños. More information HERE. |
 CONCERTS in support of Programa pro Niños IncapacitadosAs well as the Sinatra Birthday Bash (see right), save these dates: January 27, 28 & 29: The Beatles GET BACK revival at El Bar Co., Ajijic. Featuring The Rooftop Romeos. Tickets 500 pesos HERE. And, on Tuesday, February 7, Wendy Laurier in concert at the Lake Chapala Society, details TBA. |
 A Caminos de Agua presentation addressing the escalating water problems impacting over 740,000 residents of San Miguel de Allende & the Upper Rio Laja watershed, and outlining potential solutions & strategies. Background info HERE.Friday, December 13 in English at 4pm y en español a las 5:15pm at la Biblioteca SMA. The event is free, but please register for English HERE y español AQUI. And, there’s another opportunity to learn about The Water Crisis in Guaajuato coming up on Friday, March 7 at Instituto Allende. The class will cover effective responses to the crisis and actions everyone can take in their own homes. For updates on that event, register HERE. |
 SAVE THE DATES in La Manzanilla: Saturday, December 21. La Catalina Foundation Posada meet-and greet. Saturday, February 22. The annual Night Under the Stars auction & fundraising extravaganza of food and fun. Details will be posted HERE and on Facebook. |
 Coming up in Huatulco:Sunday, January 12: Vamos Huatulco. Run or walk in support of Un Nuevo Amanecer. Register HERE. Wednesday, February 5: Blues on the Beach at Hotel Casa Bocana. A jam-packed evening of food, drink and superb blues from Dawn Tyler Watson (photo above) and Sandra Bouza. Admission by donation of 5,000 pesos ($350 CDN) per person through PayPal or, for a CRA tax receipt, HERE. |
 Five years after Jóvenes Adelante inaugurated an annual congress interupted by Covid-19, it presents Congress 2.0, focused on the 300 graduates who’s lives have been transformed since JA began in 2001. The Congress will bring the entire JA community together: sponsors, mentors, EFL tutors, other volunteers & supporters, current students and grads! This year’s special event is a presentation of two short documentary films about marginalized youth presented and produced by the Youth Documentary Academy of Colorado Springs: • Leaving Africa recounts the harrowing odyssey of fleeing one’s homeland in search of a safer live. • And Shade explores the phenomenon of ‘team light skin’ vs ‘team dark skin’. Screenings will be followed by a facilitated storytelling workshop. The general public, including applicants and their families, are invited to attend these sessions from noon-5pm on Tuesday, January 21 at Casa del la Cultura (Mesones 71). Tickets HERE. And, on Wednesday, February 19, 1pm at the Rosewood Hotel, JA will present its Annual Report followed by a celebration of the 300 grads. |
 Wednesday, February 5 at 5pm. A Gala Fundraiser in support of ProMusica‘s Young Musicians Competition, Music Academy and Youth Orchestra, which will perform at the event. And, on Wednesday March 19, Metropolitan Opera soloist and Grammy Winner Terry Barber performs at a benefit for the Music Academy, which provides classes to 20 talented players from ages 8-to-14 for 40 weeks a year. Tickets are 2,500 pesos HERE. Info on the full ProMusica 2024-25 season is HERE. |
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| HELP WANTED Amistad Canada auditors One of the most important aspects of the relationship between Amistad Canada and our Mexican Project Partner NGOs is the annual audit, which is conducted to assess how well the NGOs are meeting agreed-upon financial and program goals. The confidential audits are conducted by team of volunteers who come from various vocational and practical backgrounds. Their reports help the AC Board make informed decisions about the future of each Partnership. The job is not onerous nor overly time consuming; 10-15 hours over a several week span. Auditors don’t need to be accountants nor attend the location of their NGO since the work can be done remotely. Training and templates are provided and we’re setting up a buddy system for veteran auditors and new recruits to work side by side, allowing for continuity as individuals change over time. To learn more about this gratifying volunteer opportunity, please contact Audit Manager Michael Dobbin at dobbin@thecreativecity.ca Feed the Hungry SMA is recruiting Volunteer Drivers (with their own vehicles) to deliver food supplies to school kitchens in remote communities on Tuesday mornings throughout the school year. More info HERE or contact volunteers@feedthehungrysma.org Jóvenes Adelante welcomes English-speaking volunteers to provide extra practice for students in its ‘English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Tutoring Program’. Info HERE. It’s also recruiting new Mentors. Info HERE. Patronato pro Niños is looking for volunteer healthcare professionals to contribute skills and experience to making a difference in the lives of many children in and around San Miguel de Allende. Contact info@patronatoproninos.org And, the monthly PPN fundraising Heart to Heart Bazaar welcomes friendly, flexible and outgoing people to join the volunteer team; please contact Sunnie via WhatsApp: +1(512)671-0292. ProMusica SMA is searching for a full- or part-time Administrator to support the President. More info HERE. And, the ProMusica Academy is recruiting instructors to teach free string and woodwind classes to children ages 8 to 14 every Saturday at la Biblioteca SMA. If you know of, ideally, young Mexican musicians interested in teaching (for renumeration) contact Kathy at snodgrassna@hotmail.com or by WhatsApp, 415-100-8080. |
