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 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 ::
History
of the Rotary in Chacala
 This Rotary story starts in 1996 when a North Carolina Rotarian and teacher, Dale Reinhardt, realized his dream to build a library for Chacala's children. The funding came from a modest matching grant from Rotary International and the Oriental Club of District 7720 in North Carolina, partnered with the closest Mexican Rotary club in Compostela, about 35 miles from Chacala.
A year later, Jim and Betty Thompson, Rotarians from Kalispell, MT found the library in a sorry state, as neglect and the tropical climate had taken their toll. They refurbished it, and staffed it for a month or so. Other volunteers followed from Kalispell and elsewhere. Susana and Poncie Escobido, who now live in Chaaala, were instrumental in expanding the library after-school programs. They recruited the first staff member, Viky Robelo, who continues to administer the library programs today. Art Thompson and Rita Fitzsimmons of the Kalispell Rotary continue to channel funds from their club to the Chacala library, often saving the library from closing its doors.
The library was recently dedicated as the Dale Reinhardt Learning Center of Chacala to honor Dale's ongoing contributions and faithful support. The Center has grown to embrace programs for children at all levels-from sports to handicrafts, from theater to summer school, from math tutoring to English lessons.
In 2001, Rotary Kalispell, led by Jim and Betty, Art Thompson and Rita Fitzsimmons provided the funds to build a small multifunctional extension known as "el cuartito" to house the Head Start and Kindergarten after-school programs. Viky often has an assistant or volunteer to teach the little ones numbers, colors, shapes and letters and help them use the interactive learning games on our donated computers. In addition to the children's room, Rotary-built additions now include a computer lab with satellite antenna Internet access, a community Tool Lending Library, and a simple kitchen to provide hot lunches to students in the Primary and Secondary schools.
When Hurricane Kenna devastated Chacala's beachfront in October 2002, the library served as staging area for the community's rebuilding effort. Chacala's scholarship students, supported from donations to a new nonprofit organization,
Cambiando Vidas (Changing Lives), stepped up to the task of helping distribute clean water and food to their homeless neighbors. Many of these qualified students are sponsored by generous donations from Rotarians from all over the country.
A few months later, Berkeley, CA Rotarians donated funds and countless hours of labor to build a second floor on the main library building, creating a space for a computer lab with Internet access for Chacala's students and other members of the community. Computers were donated to the library by visitors who arrived on sailboats, and by friends from the United States. Rio Vista, CA Rotary led by Jack Hask donated the funds to install a tile floor in the new computer lab, which is the only one of its kind in Nayarit.
In February 2003, forty Berkeley, CA Rotarians, headed by President John Ferguson and Dr. Pate Thomson, and accompanied by Andy Brown from the El Cerrito Club came to Chacala to do the finish work on the second floor. They brought all their own tools, which they ultimately donated for a Community Tool Lending Library; they plastered, painted, wired, built workstations, took Spanish lessons, played music in the evenings and generally were a blessing to our small community. As a part of this project, a room was added to the library to house the "Tool Lending library" for use by future volunteers and for local town projects.
In March 2004, 30 plus Berkeley Rotarians again headed by Pate and John, and joined by architect Grier Graff came to put a new roof on the Kindergarten, repaint the walls, repair the bathroom, and add electricity. They also did finishing work on the second floor of the library, tiling the exterior walkways and stairs. They began building a simple kitchen adjacent to the Library and across the courtyard from the Primary School for a "hot lunch program" for the Primary and Secondary school students. Kalispell, MT Rotary outfitted the kitchen with a stove, refrigerator and utensils-making this cafeteria an instant success and providing a modest business opportunity for a local woman. In addition, the Rotarians built three beautiful wooden picnic tables for the courtyard.
Also arriving in March 2004, were a group of Rotarians from Omaha, Nebraska headed by Chacalilla resident, Janel Weeks. Assisted by some of the local parents, they began renovating the Secondary School, which was in danger of being condemned. This group hauled away tons of cement from the demolished roof and started the process of rebuilding the school structure.
Cambiando Vidas channeled donations from the local wedding of Tamara and Frank McSwain, Jr (some guests were coincidentally Rotarians from Colorado and North Carolina), to complete the new roof before the rainy season began.
During the extreme rainy season in July 2004, the library's new second floor roof overhang failed. Rotarians Pate Thomson of Berkeley, CA, Art Thompson, and Rita Fitzsimmons of Kalispell, MT led a fundraising drive in collaboration with
Cambiando Vidas, and raised enough money to pay for the repair and redesign of the roof.
In March 2005, the Berkeley Rotary work group returned to Chacala to help with the roof repair and improve the bathrooms and water system in the Primary School and Learning Center complex. They partnered with the Puerto Vallarta Rotary Club led by Sr. Fernando Castro to complete this project.
 Also in March 2005, the Omaha Rotarians returned bringing with them a group of Rotarians from Shawnee, Kansas. Assisted by townspeople and local craftsmen, they laid bricks, mixed cement, plumbed, wired and painted until the Secondary School was completely reconstructed. New desks, dry erase blackboards, two computer stations, a room for the teacher, and secure storage all added to the beauty and function of the Telesecundaria in Chacala. The school was officially dedicated in late March with a ceremony that was attended by many of the teachers from the State of Nayarit, who then attended an in-service training held in the brand new structure.
In April 2005, the Santa Cruz, CA Sunrise Rotary Club led by Jason Book came to Chacala for the first time to assemble and install new playground equipment at the Kindergarten. They provided funds to level the lot, build a stone retaining wall and put down a safety surface under and around the new swings and slides. The children were "over the moon" with their new play yard.
Summer School 2005 offered a free English Class, sponsored by a donation from Sally Weissinger of Berkeley, to all the students and local townspeople. The classes were attended by 15 students and 5 adults from the community.
Many of these Rotarians contribute to Cambiando Vidas (Changing Lives) scholarship fund, which has helped more than 29 students pursue their dreams of secondary and university education. Donations to Cambiando Vidas are also used to support the needs of the library, tutoring, learning programs, Internet access lab, maintenance and repairs of the Learning Center, and salaries for our small local staff.
December 2007 – We recently received very good news from B.K. Barringer and the Mooresville-Lake Norman Rotary Club. B.K.’s Club has partnered with the Compostela, Mexico Rotary and have obtained matching funds from Rotary International to grant Cambiando Vidas $20,000 for our computer center. The funds will be administered by Compostela Rotary and will allow us to purchase computers, desks, chairs, storage cabinets, software, a good copy machine that uses toner, and other supplies for the Learning Center. B.K. Barringer and Dale Elks have worked on this project for two years. We are very grateful for their Herculean efforts on behalf of the children of Chacala.
Every year the cost of keeping the doors of the Learning Center open creates more of a challenge for Cambiando Vidas. More children each year are participating in the Library programs and applying for aid from the Scholarship Program. We celebrate the fact that many of our preparatory students are beginning to go to University, but this puts an extraordinary strain on our modest budget. We appreciate and need every loving donation from our wonderful friends in Rotary. God Bless you all!
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