“Even the smallest thought counts. Boxes of pencils, pens, colors, old school books…everything is put to good use.”
Sunday March 12th, Kate and Andrew, the owners of Nirvana Sailing Tours and their friends John and Yvette (Speedy) hosted a fund-raiser for Niños Adelante. People came costumed in their Age of Aquarius costumes and danced and drank till the wee hours. It was a great party, but the most important aspect of the night was the fact that over $3000 pesos was raised. What is Niños Adelante and how can you be involved?
In Mexico an education is free up to the 6th grade, after that the cost is $200 dollars per year, per child. This may seem like a small sum, but to some Mexican families, it is quite expensive. Niños Adelante (Children Forward) is a non-profit organization founded in 1978 by some local expatriates who saw a need and acted on it. Through sponsorship and donations, the group provides children the opportunity to continue their education through high school. Run by volunteers here and by a Zihuatanejo man, José Bustos, all funds go directly to the kids. They are selected based on their need, desire, performance and grade point average (They must maintain an 8.0 out of a possible 10.0 GPA). There are two donor classifications, Sponsors and Non-Sponsors. A sponsor is a person who commits to one or more children for a year or more. Sponsors are asked to make a contribution of $200 dollars per child. Many chose to support more than one child. And some people take a vested interest by donating enough money to support the child until their education is complete. A non-sponsor is a person who makes a donation of money or supplies. And supplies are greatly needed here. School supplies, books, musical instruments, paper, clothes, educational videos, small calculators and more, are wonderful things to bring if you are coming down on vacation and would like to help. Even the smallest thought counts. Boxes of pencils, pens, colors, old school books…everything is put to good use.
One of the most interesting aspects of this charity organization is that the sponsorship money goes directly to the children. They have to pay their own tuition, buy their own supplies, uniforms and other needed items. This not only puts the money in hand, it also teaches the child the value of money and how to take responsibility for it.
Niños Adelante is a non-profit 501(C)(3) organization and is recognized by the Mexican government. All inquires for sponsorship and donations may be sent to: adriennebaldwin@hotmail.com or to Friends of Niños Adelante attn: Adrienne Baldwin, Secretary 1200 Oakview Rd. Long Lake, MN 55356.
There are people who, through their sponsorships, have become part of the families, attending baptisms, birthdays and most importantly, graduations. If you would like to be a part of the community like some of these folks, please take an action. The reward is not just a tax write-off, but the knowledge that a child will have a better chance.
-March 2000
