On Tuesday, August 20, Karl Samuels from the Rotary Club of Lethbridge Sunrise presented an update on the Los Amigos project.
Beginning in 2011, this project has delivered a total of 41 vehicles (fire engines, ambulances and school busses) to various small communities in Mexico. The vehicles are typically donated by numerous agencies in Alberta. Vehicles are then repaired and upgraded as necessary to ensure they meet the demands of Mexican authorities. Drivers take about a week to travel to Mazatlan where they are then distributed to recipient communities (up to another week.) When the vehicles arrive at the Mexican border, Rotarians greet and escort them to Mazatlan, thus ensuring a safe and hassle-free journey.
The recipient communities are carefully vetted: they must ensure they have the resources to maintain and operate the vehicles, personnel properly trained in the use of the vehicle and associated equipment, and a commitment by the community to use the vehicle. The understanding is that vehicles that are not properly used and cared for will be donated to other communities.
Along with the vehicles and associated equipment, as space permits, other items are also collected and distributed. For example, they have transported wheelchairs and musical instruments. Both have proven a real boon to those communities.
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Wayne Stewart, RC Lethbridge spoke about the many training opportunities the program has fostered. Not only have trainers traveled to Mexico to train and support their training staff, but a project to have trainers from Mexico travel to Lethbridge to undergo extensive training is also in the works. The participants will return to Mexico to deliver further training programs.
This project brings many Rotary clubs together - 11 Canadian clubs from south and central Alberta and 9 clubs from Mexico. Funding comes from various clubs, grants, and sponsors. Expenses covered include vehicle repairs, driver expenses (including return flights to Canada) and other associated costs.
Thank you, Karl and Wayne, for your engaging and highly informative presentation. We also thank you and team members, Henry Van Hierdon and Doug Thornton for taking the time to travel from Lethbridge to address our club. Henry and Doug will be taking over managing the project this coming year.