Cambiando Vidas
"Changing Lives"

:: Our Mission :: About Chacala :: About EBACH :: The Volunteers and Staff :: History of the Rotary ::
:: Meet the Kids :: Education in Mexico :: What Your Donation Means :: How You Can Help :: Newsletters ::

About Chacala

Chacala is a charming fishing village in a beautiful bay on Mexico’s Pacific coast with about 300 residents. Chacala is in the south of the state of Nayarit, 45 miles (72km) south of Tepic, and 56 miles (90km) north of Puerto Vallarta.

A new paved road built in 1999 opened Chacala to the world. More and more tourists, North Americans and Mexicans, are discovering Chacala. New businesses are coming and will prosper as tourism continues to grow.

We believe the way out of poverty leads through the classroom. Our students now attending high schools and university in other areas will be the ambassadors of new ideas to Chacala. Through education, we hope to develop future leaders and business owners, responsible parents and active community participants.

After Hurricane Kenna

On the Friday morning of October 25, 2002 Kenna hit Chacala hard. In less than an hour, three tidal waves three meters high swept the village. Homes and restaurants along the beach were wiped out and some families lost everything. Fishing boats were smashed and outboard motors lost.

People have rebuilt but in the absence of adequate government assistance, it is a long-term project to reconstruct basic services. For example, the water system in much of the village was destroyed. Finally in 2007, clean running water has been restored to the whole village.

Since the hurricane, education expenses have become a greater financial burden than ever before. It was hard for some families to pay for their children’s education before, now it is almost impossible.