Although things have not fully normalized in Oaxaca City, the situation continues to improve. On June 8 I spoke with Dra. Martha Canseco, who is our Mexican Board President. She reported that Covid infections were tapering off in the state. On the day prior to our conversation there were 12 new Covid infections reported in Oaxaca state and five in Oaxaca city. Likewise businesses are open and tourists are returning. Precautions such as mask wearing in businesses remain in place. Although Covid is abating, the vaccination campaign remains slow. Many eligible people have gotten their first vaccine but are now having a hard time getting the second dose due to distribution issues. Our hope is that more vaccines for more age groups will be available soon.
At Centro de Esperanza Infantil, we are working hard preparing children and young adults for school. As of this date, in-person classes are scheduled to start in August. At the center we are paying school inscription fees, helping the students get their uniforms, and everything else that is required to get them ready to return to school.
Needless to say, between the pandemic and decline of the tourist economy in Oaxaca, this has been a most difficult time for our children, young adults, and their families. Fortunately, one of our generous donors provided money for us to begin a mental health counseling program. We now have a psychologist working part-time with our program. At present 12 students are seen regularly and the psychologist is available as needed for others. This has proven to be a critical need and we are thankful for the generous funding to begin this program.
As far as our operations, this is the most expensive quarter for our program due to the need to prepare our students for school. In Oaxaca program funds were exhausted; however, two days ago I was able to wire $100,000 US to Oaxaca for the next quarter's operating expenses. On behalf of the children we serve, thank you so much for your generosity.
Sincerely,
W. David Slaymaker, OSCGR President
