Amigos de Magisterio 2011

by Lyse & Phil Rioux

Most tourists have never visited the Colonia Magisterio slum community of Puerto Vallarta.

It is situated in the northeastern area of the city, next to the garbage dump.

The real-estate would be the cheapest, most streets are unpaved. Dust, decay and chemical stench of the dump are the norm.

Many of the residents make their living sorting our garbage in order to find recyclable articles, to use or to sell.

Their shacks are fabricated with cardboard, scrap metal or pieces of plastic.

We have never visited during a rain, surely it is not pretty. Puerto Vallarta is continually making efforts to improve and beautify the city; in Magisterio, progress is very slow.

A few streets have been paved only in recent years, the pavement ends at the school, 3 blocks away from the dump and many homes.

Again some concerned tourists have cared enough to raise funds to bring good wholesome food to the people of Magisterio.

This year over 91,000 pesos was raised from residents of the two trailer parks in Puerto Vallarta, Tacho’s and El Pescador, Condos la Marina, Las Moras, Condos Cocorit, Club Richelieu Vanier-Laurier Ottawa, Canada, Ecole St. Antoine, St. Gedeon Quebec, Canada, the Bayview Grand, families and friends of the organizers and a special collection Feb 12 and 13 at the two tourist Masses at Nuestra Senora de la Guadalupe Church in the Centro of Puerto Vallarta.

With these funds 1200 kg of rice were purchased, 1200 kg sugar, 1200 bottles of cooking oil and 4620 kg of beans. So 1200 bags were put together containing each 1 bag of rice and sugar, 1 bottle oil and 3 bags of beans.

The remaining beans were distributed among the poorest homes.

Beans have become an expensive item, a Mexican staple consumed at nearly every meal, the only consistent source of protein for the poor. This has been the focus of our project. The Magisterio residents buy at the same prices as tourists or even higher.

Because of their distance to the larger retailers, they are obliged to purchase from corner stores at much higher prices.

One year their half liter oil cost the same as our 1 liter in a bulk purchase. Since the world recession, tourism has been affected here, there is less income arriving into Puerto Vallarta, fewer jobs, and consequently more pressure on food banks.

The organizers were again very happy to welcome our Mexican sponsor, Frigorizados La Huerta, who donated 1200 bags each containing 2 personal pizzas, 1 cheese bun, 2 frozen desserts, one kilogram of frozen vegetables, 1 bag of candy, 1 bag of peanuts and a box of popsicles from Chiquitina. They also donated 300 balls.

The schools were approached to make piñatas in their art workshops. The Mexican sponsors then supplied the materials (oranges, mandarins, candy and peanuts) required to stuff the piñatas so the children could enjoy a real fiesta.

We had identified 1096 children in 5 schools to receive our donation. The children appear fairly well and energetic.

You have to look beyond the worn and stained handed down school uniforms. Many are un-bathed... Years ago the organizers decided to donate through the schools to encourage school attendance and this way break the cycle of poverty.

The 2 shifts of Kinder at Gabriel Mistral, Juan de la Barrera, Ignacio Altamirano a stone’s throw from the garbage dump a large school of over 300 students, each, morning and afternoon, but with a very small inner courtyard to play in.

And Los Volcanes further up near the mountain jungle with the view of the city, the ocean and where there is also abject poverty.

This school is nice by area standards, fairly new although water and washrooms were only installed last year; a cement trough was built along the school to drain rain water from the adjacent hill; we were asked as a volunteer group, to add a grate on this trough because the children stumble into it and get hurt.

That was last year. Still no grate...;

The remainder of the bags were distributed among the poorest homes.

We will agree that our vacations in beautiful Puerto Vallarta are most enjoyable. Tourists come here with an extensive budget for personal enjoyment.

It is all well and good to cater to our whims and fancies and oil the Mexican economy.

But let us not forget the poor who try to make a living here in a higher cost of living area because of tourism, and let us send them more than our garbage.

Let us make a significant contribution to a whole society that welcomes us so graciously.

With this in mind, the balance of our funds is being donated to Caritas, the ongoing food bank based at Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe Church. You are welcome to “pay” them a visit.

In closing the organizers would like to thank Frigorizados La Huerta, Club Richelieu from Ottawa, Canada, Ecole St. Antoine from St. Gedeon Quebec Canada, the school directors, the staff at Walmart, especially Ricardo, Sam’s Club, all the donors and the workers, Tacho’s trailer park for the use of their premises for meetings and packaging, and also a special thank you to Father Estaban Salazar, pastor of Nuestra Senora de la Guadalupe Church, who is a constant source of encouragement and help.

Lyse Rioux, Manitoba, Canada
presently wintering at Las Moras, Puerto Vallarta