The magazine for all things Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo
Serving the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo community since 1999
Available at select spots all across Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo
The magazine for all things Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo
Serving the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo community since 1999
Available at select spots all across Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo
Community - Projects ZihuaBy Nancy SeeleyThere's a new group in town called Projects Zihua whose motto is, "Many hands working together to make dreams come true." Only a few months old, Projects Zihua (PZ) is a non-profit, volunteer group promoting local involvement efforts falling into four broad categories: education, environment, community development, and health and welfare. PZ's most visible effort to date has been upgrading conditions at a 120-student school for children in grades 1-6 located up in the hills of a colonia called Vicente Guerrero behind Elektra, the appliance store in downtown Zihua. Thanks to fund-raising efforts paired with donated services from parents of the school kids and others, 63 new desks are replacing crates as workstations in the rustic classrooms. New books, teaching materials, clothing, and other school supplies are on the way from PZ supporters in the U.S. and Canada. Close contact between PZ and the school, called Nueva Creacion, ensures
that the focus is on responding to problems brought to PZ's attention
and helping local residents to help themselves. That focus is a key ingredient
of PZ's philosophy. Those websites are: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ProjectsZihua and www.ProjectsZihua.com. Take a look at them and you'll find out how to get involved if the idea appeals to you. The sites provide personal contacts for more information as well as a drop-off point for donations. The group's structure and daily operations have been spawned by the Internet. Rather than relying on meetings, the informational updates and message boards available online attempt to match problem identification with people who can solve them by donating funds or time, providing skilled services, publicizing needs and coordinating efforts with Zihua's city government as well as other charitable groups in the area, such as S.O.S. Bahia and Eco-Ixtapa (of which PZ is a sub-committee). Case in point: After checking out PZ's brand new websites, several U.S. dentists who are visiting Zihua in December, 2004 got in touch with the group to volunteer their expertise and provide checkups and other care to local residents during their time in our paradise. In November, PZ put out the word that toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, tongue depressors, and hand cleaner are needed to complete the effort. Responses started hitting the message board in short order, and PZ expects the effort to be a rousing success. During one week in November alone, more than 500 pounds of donations arrived at PZ's citywide collection point. Items included clothing, shoes, school supplies, medicine and bedding. People who make donations get e-mail receipts as well as feedback on where their donations went. If all goes as planned, PZ will have co-hosted a holiday bazaar with S.O.S. Bahia and Eco-Ixtapa in Zihuatanejo Dec. 3-4 to raise money for worthy causes by the time this article is published. Piggybacking with existing groups to mutually achieve goals is another major tenet of PZ's mission statement. Although PZ's agenda is evolving day by day, organizers envision involvement in issues ranging from recycling to dealing with the proliferation of stray animals roaming the streets in Zihua. Brochures and posters publicizing the group's efforts are also in the works. The bottom line is: You CAN make a difference!
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