Spring flew by and summer is already halfway through! Here is a snippet of what’s been going on:
March: New Partnerships!
(Playa del Carmen, Mexico)
This spring Mentor a Mentor joined forces with the foundation, Wayak Paal, to support Emanuel, a local soccer instructor. Wayak Paal was established to financially assist children from lower income families in the area to be able to participate in their local soccer league. Due to the area’s main industry of tourism, many children find themselves alone most of the day and evening as parents work long hours in hotels and other areas of tourism to support their family. With the help of Wayak Paal, these children are able to join others their age to learn and practice a sport they love in a safe environment. Mentor a Mentor was privileged to help support one of their coaches, Emanuel, to complete a Goal-Keeper training in Guadalajara so that he might better serve his youth!
April: Tough Goodbyes
(Chihuahua, Mexico)
Our Mentor a Mentor instructors finished their work with children from Restore, where instructor Nancy was teaching racquetball and Cruz sewing, as the organization closed its doors. We are sad to no longer have the opportunity of our instructors working with the children there, however we are happy to know that the families have made huge progress thanks to Restore’s work and look forward to seeing them flourish on their own moving forward.
May: Baby Girl!
(Minneapolis, MN)
Javier and Rebecca welcomed home a baby girl. Valentina Rae was born May 24, bringing so much joy and love to their lives, as well as very little sleep!
June: Batizado
(Chihuahua, Mexico)
'Twelve of the children participated and enjoyed it very much. The Brazilian instructors did a great job and the children learned a lot, I think the younger ones are going to begin to work even harder in their training after this event.'
-Luis Delgado, Director Orphanage Casa Hogar Adonai
The children at orphanage Casa Hogar Adonai joined their capoeira instructor, Faisca (Gabriel), and mentor, Mariachi (Raul), at the ‘Batizado’. For a full weekend they participated with others who practice Capoeira in Mexico and a Brazilian ‘mestrando’, or master, who came in from Portugal to teach various classes and to award cords to those graduating to a higher rank. The children saw Gabriel receive his new cord of ‘Graduado’, equivalent to a black belt in other martial arts! They were also able to train alongside some of the best, receiving inspiration and motivation to continue their own practice of Capoeira with Gabriel and Raul who have invested so much in them.
July: Breakdance
(Juarez, Mexico)
'The students who graduated asked if they could continue attending breakdance classes next term, to which I responded: the doors are always open.'
-Daniel Pineda, Breakdance Instructor
With the school year ending in June, instructor Daniel Pineda filled us in on the breakdance workshops he has been teaching since November. Throughout the remainder of the school year, he and the children were able to perform at different presentations in school, gaining the trust, confidence and admiration of students, teachers, administrators and parents alike. His break dance classes have been a constant for these youth who have joined him amidst an ever fluctuating and changing life in border town Juarez. They finished the school year strong and the kids are looking forward to beginning courses with their instructor again as soon as school begins-even those who have graduated and will be at a different campus!
If you would like to be a part of what Mentor a Mentor is doing and help support these instructors to continue investing in these youth, go here.
Blessings!