Jeff said that he is new to Rotary, only been a member for 3 years (the Point West Club) but he thinks it is an amazing organization. Jeff’ said his passion is in helping “at risk” kids. He has spent the last 2 and ½ decades crisscrossing the globe on projects for people in Zambia, Nicaragua and other countries. Now he has come to our Club to let us know about a youth project called “Camp Hope” located in San Quintin Valley in Baja California, Mexico. This was put together by Reach Baja (Extendiendo a Mano, A.C.) in the Rio Mexico desert (200 miles south of Tijuana), where there is a two lane-highway going down to La Paz. People in the vicinity work in the fields for $2 per day, live in shacks, and teens get married at 14 years of age and have a family at 15 or 16. There, his organization, Reach Baja have purchased 8 and ½ acres and are establishing “Camp Hope”. The idea is to reach to achieve violence reduction, job training, and community development. In short, the project is seeking to systematically change the future of a generation facing absolute poverty. Reach Baja is looking for a grant of $100,000 from Rotary International.

The Reach Baja organization has a 12 year history of projects in the area. More than 95 homes and school classroom facilities have been completed and a 1.5 acre community for families led by single moms, complete with running water and sanitation was completed in 2019. There are 5 full-time staff in residence in San Quintin. The Rotary of Ensenada has completed multiple RI Global grant projects including water projects, solar installations and education projects. The Point West Rotary global grant committee has committed $5000 to the project and is providing oversight.

Jeff told a story on himself, that he came from a very poor family and became the first of his 40 relatives to graduate from college. He said that all around the world, the young are looking to America to see what’s cool. Some of the best representatives are Rotoractors. Jeff will be bringing student youth groups down to Camp Hope to help out in projects there and they are good examples to the young people.

 

Jeff tells the story of a young woman, who was sold off by her family to prostitution and was abused by an older man, the father of her children. Now she has been helped by turning their family around. You need to get to them by the age of 14 and mentor them to go in a different direction.

 

Now President Vicky put out a heartfelt thanks to Jeff's Club (the Point West Club) for their contribution of $2000 to our Uganda Water Project, a while back, that helped our project immensely. Then, she quickly impressed Jeff by announcing that, in his honor, a book will be donated to the Carmichael Library (subsidiary of the Sacramento Public Library.

 

P.S.: In the Q and A there came an offer from Richard Olebe and David Thorman to help Jeff in any way with their proposed grant from R.I., since they had worked successfully on our $200,000 water project in Uganda and can share their experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

America's Public Lands"

 

 

 

 

"The Power of Human: How our

 

 

 

 

 

"Upcycling Outdoors": 20 Creative Garden Projects

 

 

 

 

 

"The Ecology Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained"

 

"Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and

Update to 3-15, 2019

 

Your bulletin editor just couldn’t help bringing to your notice the relevance of the last six “Book Donations” by Branch Supervisor, Berta Boegel given “in honor of” our recent keynote speakers to the Carmichael Library (Sacramento Public Library) at our Club meetings. Note that Berta has fined tuned the speakers topic to the subject of the book! They are below: