Posted on September 11th, 2024
 UPDATE – September 2024 |
 AMISTAD CANADA welcomes our first NGO Partner in Mexico City  AMISTAD CANADA is pleased to announce a Project Partnership with APAC – Asociación Pro Personas con Parálisis Cerebral / Association for People with Cerebral Palsy – based in the Mexican capital. Since 1970, APAC has worked to improve the lives of C.P. patients and their families. In 2022, it inaugurated a Neuro Robotic Rehabilitation Innovation Centre to help children with mobility problems through the use of a portable pediatric exoskeletons. To date, more than 1,500 children and youth have benefited.  The Amistad Canada–APAC Mobility Project will support the purchase of a more flexible model of pediatric exoskeleton made by a Canadian company, Trexo Robotics, and, subsequently, the salaries of professional staff who will work with it. The Trexo devices (photo below right) include a variety of accessories and software so that they can be tailored to the needs of each child.  APAC aims to raise $30,000 CDN through the Partnership with the goal of purchasing the first device in early 2025. Website: https://apac.mx/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apaciap/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APAC.IAP Twitter: https://twitter.com/apacdf TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@apac_iap TWO NEW PROJECTS TO SUPPORT YOUNG MUSICIANS Amistad Canada‘s partnership with ProMusica SMA has been expanded to include two new Projects. In addition to the ProMusica Youth Orchestra, Canadians will now receive tax receipts for donations to the organization’s Music Academy and the Young Musicians Competition. The Academy teaches 8-12 year-olds music theory and how to play various instruments, including strings, woodwind and brass. The most talented join the Pro Music Children’s Orchestra. Sponsor a class for a budding young musician for as little as 1,000 pesos (about $70 CDN) a month. And, the Competition is open to Mexican instrumentalists between the ages of 15-25 who compete for up to $400,000 MXN worth of scholarships. Donors can underwrite a prize for as little as 5,000 pesos ($340 CDN).  Wondering what our 17 Project Partners have been up to recently? Here are links to some of their recent newsletters and social media posts: APAC La Biblioteca SMA Caminos de Agua La Fundación Catalina Don Diego Foundation EESMA School for the Deaf Feed the Hungry SMA IXIM 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 COMING EVENTS:  Registration for free children’s classes at la Biblioteca de SMA is open for the October-December trimester. Options include computer coding, painting, ceramics, guitar, chess, illustration, English as a second language, the children’s choir, writing and more (full list HERE). Donations made through Amistad Canada help keep these classes free or very low cost. For more info contact: clases@labibliotecapublica.org  Saturday, September 7 (and the first Saturday of every month), from 10am-2pm: The monthly Heart to Heart Bazaar is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who select and sell largely high-end donated items in support of Patronato Pro Niños. More information HERE.  Sunday, September 25, 9am-Noon: Mujeres en Cambio‘s Fall Scholarship Distribution Ceremony and skills seminar for university students at Instituto Allende. Closed event for students and mentors only. And, on Wednesday, December 4 at Bekeb artisanal mixology bar (Mesones 14), an event to honor MEC donors and sponsors. More info HERE.  Save the Date: Wednesday, October 9, 7pm at the Review Cinema (400 Roncesvalles Ave., Toronto), Delectable Encounters: Art, Food and the Day of the Dead. Art historian Janet Dawson presents an entertaining and colourful tribute to Diá de lost Muertos, Mexico’s most iconic tradition. More info to follow on Tepoz Rosa’s Facebook page. Tickets/donations will be available on CanadaHelps.  Sunday, October 27, the fifth-annual Feed the Hungry SMA Walk, Run, Bike for Food Challenge at Viñedo Dos Buhos or virtually from wherever you might be. A fun-filled fundraiser for a great cause: covering the cost of at least 100,000 hot nutritious meals for more than 5,000 students in 38 communities where Feed the Hungry SMA operates. More info and registration HERE.  Save the date: Thursday, November 7. Patronato pro Niños hosts a Royale Gala at Club de Golf Malanquin, SMA. Enjoy an unforgettable evening with live music, exquisite dishes, exciting auctions, and a variety of entertainment all in support of raising crucial funds to continue providing medical, dental, and psychological care to those in need. Tickets will be on sale soon HERE.  Save the dates of these 2024-25 events in support of Programa pro Niños Incapacitados   Tuesday, January 21, 6pm at Casa de la Cultura (Mesones 71, SMA) Caminos de Agua presents San Miguel’s Water Crisis: Who’s Impacted and What Can We Do? Executive Director Dylan Terrell will bring us up to date on exactly what the crisis involves, how CDA is pioneering clean water solutions with communities who are most impacted, and how to ensure that the region has clean, safe water in its future. And, on Friday, March 7 at Instituto Allende, Terrell will talk about the water crisis across the state of Guanajuato, in particular the Upper Río Laja Watershed that spans seven northern municipalities including San Miguel de Allende and is one of the most heavily overused groundwater regions in the world. More info HERE.  HELP WANTED Amistad Canada auditors One of the most important aspects of the relationship between Amistad Canada and our now 17 Mexican Project Partner NGOs is the ANNUAL AUDIT, which is conducted to assess the strengths, weaknesses, successes and challenges of each Partnership. The audits measures how well the NGOs are meeting agreed-upon financial and program goals. Audits are undertaken in confidence, usually early in the new year, by a team of volunteers who come from various vocational and practical backgrounds (no need to be an accountant). Their reports help the AC Board make informed decisions about the future of each Partnership. AC is unique in this regard and we are very proud of how effective and respected the process has become. The job is not onerous nor overly time consuming; 10-15 hours over a several month span. Auditors need not be located in the location of their NGO since the work can be done remotely (as COVID taught us). 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 ––– La Biblioteca de SMA is searching for a full-time paid Executive Director; details HERE. And, it’s looking for a volunteer English Reading Room Coordinator; more info HERE. ––– 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’. More 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 ––– ProMusica SMA is searching for a full- or part-time Administrator to support the President. More info HERE. And, the ProMusica Academia 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.  Facebook  Instagram  Website  YouTube Amistad Canada c/o 302-33 Elmhurst Avenue Toronto, Ontario M2M 6G8 Canada |
