Anita's dream, improving lives for generations

Since 2016, Anita’s obsession has been to empower vulnerable populations near San Pedro Itzicán in Poncitlan, Mexico to improve their lives and the lives of future generations.

It’s working. There is so much good news. Help us keep it going.

It takes about 7000 Canadian dollars per month. This goes a long, long way.

There are no overheads or salaries, everyone is a volunteer. Some locals receive a small stipend because they are essential, cooking for 700 kids a day.

This 2-minute video features a walk through the town with Anita. She explains the work there and why her life prepared her to do it. She is a very uniquely gifted person.

When we met Anita in 2016 she was walking along the shores of Lake Chapala, recruiting and training local volunteers.

Her vision has created a children’s food program, medical programs, and education programs. Collaboration with community volunteers, NGO’s and the government is growing.

In San Pedro Itzicán the local people are working hard to improve themselves and the lives of the most vulnerable.

San Pedro Itzicán is one hour’s drive from Mexico’s second-largest city. Located on the steep slope of a mountain, the town runs along the shore of lake Chapala, near the mouth of the Lerma River.

A thick white foam coats the Lerma River’s surface as it passes through five states. Untreated runoff and wastewater from factories and farms contribute metals, pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals to the river.

The town well spews steam into the air from the thermal water source below.

According to a joint study by ITESO and the University of California at Berkeley the water exceeds allowable amounts of arsenic and copper.

Water from the well is distributed via hoses and trucks to people’s homes.

The villages have one of the highest rates of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Cause. It is killing people between the age of 3 and 30. The older folks tell us that 40 years ago they never had this problem.

Factors that contribute here to systemic poverty and disease are;

• lack of safe drinking water or water of any kind, (they are not allowed to pump lake water).

• no sewage system

• lack of nutritious food, insufficient protein and calorie intake

• pesticide contamination

• overcrowded schools, non-attendance in school, illiteracy

• animals too close to outdoor kitchens

• scarce medical support, no pharmacy, not even ambulances from nearby towns.

• lack of supervision or role models for the kids because parents working out of town cannot return home each day. More than 20% of adults are illiterate and have not learnt to value education for their children

• People lack hope because they cannot change these things on their own.

The good news is that things have changed a lot already.

• Anita went from having a few friends, one being Poco a Poco, to now having up to 30 groups, both Mexican and foreign helping in some way.

• The process is to help the locals to improve themselves and the community by volunteering.

• 700 children are part of a 6 ‘kids’ kitchens’ receiving a nutritious meal 5 days a week. Local people cook and serve and do activities with the kids. They are proud to help these kids grow up. The kids look better, they are happier, a teacher commented that 1 week after the food program started the children were performing better in school.

• A small pharmacy stocked with donations

• Dentist visiting weekly

• Activity programs for kids

• A travelling library program.

• A workshop for people with different capabilities

• Graduates of the hairdressing course have started level 2 and are opening a little salon.

• Graduates of the jewelry-making course graduated to level 2 and have items for sale in 3 locations.

• Financial support for education and tutors, an adult primary education program, and art classes, 5 of the volunteers are studying toward an Auxiliary Nurse certification.

• Anita has continued to improve herself, earning social worker qualifications and has started studies in Political Science.

• Anita became the director of the first Jalisco Human Rights office in San Pedro Itzicán, serving the towns nearby. In this role, she made valuable connections and learnt to fight for the rights of the people.

• This year Anita was hired by the municipal government to reopen two community centers and fill them with programs that are run by her team of volunteers.

Thanks for reading all this, we wish you all the best in 2023.

Please be sure to donate often and share this GoFundMe to friends and family.

Lots of photos of the work are below here.

Thanks so much,

Doris Wakeman