Martha Canseco our Mexican Board President:
Today officials started the application of the second dose of vaccines to people older than 60 in a town in Oaxaca called San Antonio de la Cal. We hope they will start with the second dose in Oaxaca City soon! However, we need to improve the system. For the first doses, it was necessary to stay in line for about 24 hours.
Due to the Holy week, we had a lot of visitors in Oaxaca, and we are hoping the numbers of infected people with COVID does not go up. All the (regular) events for the Holy week were cancelled in our state. (The archaeological sites) Monte Albán and Mitla are open, but you have to get there early since they let just a certain number of people in.
Oaxaca city looks quite normal in the mornings, you can see people going to work, and stores, markets are open. Cinemas, shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, and parks are open with restrictions.
You can see families in the parks with their children in the afternoons and early evenings. However, schools are closed, and children are missing it a lot! Most people continue wearing a mask and following procedures to keep safe and healthy in markets and public places.
Regarding Centro de Esperanza Infantil (our center in Oaxaca), we are continuing to work and trying to help our children, young adults, and their families as much as we can. “Dispensas” (distributions of food and necessities) continue when possible and we recently provided an emergency cash distribution of $700.00 pesos per family in our program. This was a big help for those we serve and on their behalf, I want to say thank you to all of you who have been giving donations for them!
W. David Slaymaker United States Board President:
My sincerest thanks to all our great donors for your generosity. As Dra. Martha mentions above, last month we sent $20,000 U.S. beyond our regular budget to our Center in Oaxaca for an emergency cash distribution of $700 pesos (about $34 USD) per the 570 families in our program for their most urgent needs. Our friends at Canfro (Canadian Friends of Oaxaca) also contributed which allowed each family the full $700 pesos. The funds were used as most needed by the families, e.g. food, data for devices so children can attend their on-line classes, unpaid bills, etc.
My hope is that giving will continue upward in 2021. and that donations come in so strongly that we can send extra money each quarter to Oaxaca for emergency relief as long as the Covid and economic crisis last.
Consider donating to Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots. You will change Oaxacan lives for the better and provide children and young adults educational and other opportunities that would simply not be available without your help.
Thank you so much!
W. David Slaymaker, President Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots
