GIVING BACK

The essence of volunteerism

March, 2023

Dear Friends of Liga MAC

In Liga MAC’s 25 plus year history, there have been legions of volunteers who have devoted their time and energies to making sure that the children and families of San Jose del Cabo received the help they required. In fact without volunteers organizing fundraising campaigns and governing the practices of Liga MAC, there would be no organization. It is particularly poignant however, when one of those being helped not only is in a position to help others but also recognizes the value of helping others. This month we profile a former student who has not only found her vocation but her avocation. 

Also in this newsletter:

• Although Liga MAC’s new Learning Centre is months away from opening its doors, plans are afoot to celebrate in a big way (see Learning Centre Report).
• With Semana Santa only a few weeks away, some Liga MAC programs are drawing to a close while others are set to begin again after the holiday (see Liga MAC Programs report). 
• Dr. Deneb is back from her holidays and brings us a current Los Cabos medical report (see Doctor’s Corner).

Magdalena Lopez Cancino, better known as “Malena”, came to Liga MAC later than most students. In fact she had already graduated from high school. But her dream of going to university and becoming a teacher seemed like an impossible one due to family finances. Malena recalled that a woman she met at church spoke about a charity she worked for that helped kids get an education. Malena approached Blanca Roblero, Liga MAC’s first employee, to see if her organization could help. At the time Liga MAC was primarily focused on helping students graduate from high school although a handful of students received post secondary support. Malena’s persistence paid off and she was added to the university roster. Malena’s story however starts with its roots deeply embedded in a history of family poverty.

Malena’s parents, both from the same small village in Chiapas near the Guatemala border, did not meet until they found their way to Los Cabos. Born into a subsistence farming family, Malena’s father suffered abuse at the hands of his father and never received any kind of formal education. While still a teenager, he ran away from home and made his way to the US as an illegal immigrant. Expelled from the US, he eventually found his way to Los Cabos, an area of Mexico where jobs were plentiful. Malena’s mother joined her brother in Los Cabos, met Malena’s father and they were married while both still teenagers.  

Financial stability never seemed to be in the family’s future and while working on a construction site Malena’s father was involved in an accident and lost the sight in one eye. He had also developed diabetes and as a result the sight in is other eye was jeopardized. By this time the family had expanded to five with the addition of Malena, her brother Jose Luis, and a younger sister. Recognizing that the only escape from the cycle of poverty they found themselves in was through education, Malena’s parents and especially her father, pushed all their children to excel in school. Malena graduated from high school but without help the cost of tuition, books, and uniforms required for university were beyond the family’s reach. Malena’s father encouraged her to go to Liga MAC and ask for help. And finally in 2016 Malena became a university graduate and achieved her goal of becoming a teacher.

Malena at Liga MAC 20th Anniversary Gala few months after getting her teaching degree.

Malena teaching her students at present time.

Fast forward to January 2023 and the call went out for volunteers to help teach Liga MAC’s English as a Second Language program. Malena, a Liga MAC ESL student alumni now with a teaching degree including a specialty in English as a Second Language for middle school students, was a natural fit for the Liga MAC ESL program. The biggest contributing factor in her decision to volunteer however, stemmed from her own Liga MAC ESL experience. In her words, Malena found ESL classes to be a welcoming and fun learning environment. She remembered well the encouragement she received from facilitators Nancy Wayne and Joe Garcia. In fact Malena was so impressed with Nancy’s inclusive and fun teaching style that she chose to emulate that style in her professional career. 

Joining the ESL team, Malena made a heartfelt presentation to the current ESL class noting that while she was a student, Liga MAC was like her second family. Malena is proud and excited to be able to share her skills and experiences with a new generation of Liga MAC students. She is also proud to be able, along with her brother Jose Luis another Liga MAC graduate, to support her parents. As she explains to her new ESL class amongst whom she saw herself so many years ago, “if I did it (accomplish her dream), you can do it!” To Malena, the sweet success is being able to give back to others.

Agentes de Cambio - Agents of Change, a leadership and community involvement program held in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Club, continues until the end of the school year and is attended by 49 Grade 9 Liga MAC students. Another group of 49 Grade 10 students will be attending a series of short term after school seminars including art classes, soccer, baseball and other sports which will also continue until the school year’s end.

Alas and Aguilas - A self awareness and sexuality program for Grade 10 students, the Alas and Aguilas programs started on March 11 and will continue for 4 consecutive Saturday mornings. Each 5 hour session will be attended by 20 students. The program is facilitated by Heddy Villasenor and with assistance from Dayra Castro (the 16 year old daughter of Liga MAC’s Educational Support Co-ordinator Karen Castro).

English As a Second Language - The ESL program is preparing for a finale on March 25. The classes will be celebrating with an “all English” pizza party and art presentation to be attended by Liga MAC Board members, selected volunteers and donors, as well as ESL facilitators and classmates.

Spanish & Math Tutoring - Tutoring classes continue for 131 Grade 7 to 9 students at Centro Pedagogico Del Valle in Colonia Sant Rosa until March 31. After the Easter break (Semana Santa) classes will resume until the end of the year. In addition to assisting students who have fallen behind in their Spanish and Mathematics studies, the tutoring program is designed to help students rebound from the learning deficits incurred during the pandemic lockdown.

Preparatoria Orientation - Liga MAC staff organized a “high school information fair” for Liga MAC’s Grade 9 students who are preparing to enter high school in September. Invited representatives from each of the 5 local high schools plus the distance learning program made a presentation to parents and students. Each San Jose del Cabo high school serves a different student outcome. For example, Conalep school on Calle Valerio Gonzalez is a technological high school focusing on the food and beverage, and hotel industries while Cobach has an academic focus. 

Attending high school in Los Cabos is not a matter of living in a certain catchment area. It is rather a matter of choosing a career path. If a student chooses incorrectly, it might mean reapplying to a different high school and repeating one or more years of school. To complicate matters, all the high schools in San Jose del Cabo sit entrance exams on the same day using the same test. Therefore a student’s future could be determined by the high school to which he or she applies.

Learning Centre Update

Construction materials procurement and foundation preparations continue. All requirements for the final construction license have been met and once approval is received, construction will begin in earnest. Meanwhile, the Building Committee is planning for a late fall grand opening. Invited VIP’s, Liga MAC donors and volunteers, and the general public will be encouraged to visit during an open house and special events. There will be more details in the coming months. The committee is also looking for in-kind and monetary donations for the Learning Centre furnishings. If you would like to pledge an in-kind donation (in good condition) or a monetary donation for the interior fit out (plumbing, lighting, ventilation, kitchen, etc.) and furnishings, please contact Elva Haro at elva@ligamac.org.

As we begin 2023, COVID 19 has reached a plateau thanks to vaccination coverage of 92% of the population. We are now the state with the lowest mortality per capita for COVID 19. Despite this, mask use in closed spaces and medical centers is still a requirement as per local mandates.

On another note, the local traffic on the Transpeninsular Highway between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo has become a hot topic of debate as hotel owners, commuters, and tourists begin to suffer long waits to get from one point to another and the toll road also becomes overwhelmed. Although this may not seem a topic related to medicine, it has slowly become one since ambulances, fire department and police are having trouble arriving quickly on scene where they are needed. 

Ambulances have to slowly push their way through traffic to get to a scene to help patients and also to get out to a medical center. Accidents are a daily occurrence on this dangerous stretch of road which is known as one of the most dangerous highways in Mexico because of reckless driving. As a medical professional I can speak to the fact that there are lives being lost daily on this road and it is up to all of us as members of the community to help. 

Please remember ambulances, fire department and police have the right of way. Move to the shoulder or as far over as you can as soon as you hear the sirens. You should not wait until you see them. Also, drive carefully following signals, speed limits and using your seatbelt. Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is another problem that we see with patients that are brought in after being in one of these car accidents, please drink responsibly. 

The heat has slowly started to rise, though the mornings are still cool.  Do not forget to stock up on sunscreen, make sure you have a nice wide brim hat to keep you cool and stay out of the sun during peak hours. Hydration is key. Keep a water bottle with you to avoid dehydration. Also, use pre-packaged electrolyte solutions to keep you hydrated, using them on occasions where you profusely sweat or will be out during peak hours of the day doing physical activities. Warmer weather means warmer water and more time at the beach. So remember to keep cool, drink lots of fluids and most importantly, enjoy.