Meet Kalie

Kalie is seven years old and was diagnosed with kidney disease when she was only two.

The kidney disease has advanced to the stage of “kidney failure.” Her mother has decided not to have her on dialysis, despite her doctor’s recommendation that she be put on dialysis. Instead, Kalie’s mother prefers more alternative approaches.

Kalie is one of 72 kidney patients who receive a weekly despensa from FoodBank. She also comes for a healthy afternoon meal in our meal program for children and her mother is one of our cooks for this program.

Kalie’s case is not at all unusual. Her prognosis is not good. Many die in their teen years from this disease. Even with dialysis many die in their 20’s.

I know Kalie because she is in our kitchen with her mother a lot. Kalie is such a sweet child, always with a smile.

By Patricia Moran – March 2021

FBL’S Partner Poco a Poco

Over the last months I have watched an amazing group of young people work tirelessly to provide a lifeline of food and other basic needs to the people of their village, San Pedro Itzican, and the surrounding villages. I have often thought of what Fred Rogers (of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood) once said that in a time of crisis turn your attention to the helpers. There you will find hope and inspiration. If one looks for silver linings in this difficult time, one beautiful example is these young people who have stepped up selflessly to support their neighbors.

Back in April when the COVID economic shutdown occurred, the indigenous area of San Pedro Itzican and surrounding villages were hit hard. When employment, and therefore wages, came to a sudden halt, many villagers were left without the means to buy food.

Shortly after the economic shutdown announcement, Anita Guerrero, the remarkable director of a youth program called the Brigada in San Pedro, contacted the volunteer organization I work with, Poco a Poco San Pedro Itzican (www.pocoapocosanpedro.com). She anticipated the food crisis that loomed immediately ahead and wanted our help bringing staples to the area to distribute to families in need. She also called on 14 members of the Brigada (Brigadistas) ages 13 to 24, to get organized to begin to help their community.

Anita’s first step was to send the Brigadistas out to the communities to find out who needed immediate food assistance. A shocking 2,000 families responded they had little to eat. Soon Poco a Poco began bringing six tons of rice, beans, lentils, oatmeal, and soya every week to the Brigada office in San Pedro on a flatbed truck.
For four months, the Brigadistas worked from morning until night seven days a week taking large bags off the flatbed, sorting food, loading bags onto the back of two pickup trucks and delivering the food out of the back of the pickups into plastic bags that the villagers would bring. Four days a week the Brigadistas traveled to 12 different locations where villagers lined up for food. The other days were spent doing all of the other chores that made food delivery possible. At one point, Anita, exhausted herself by this gigantic effort, called a meeting of the equally tired Brigadistas and asked them if they wanted to continue. Every Brigadista said yes to continuing.

This effort has now slowed considerably. Most villagers have gone back to work. The 2,000 weekly despensas are now 200 monthly despensas to the elderly, disabled, and chronically ill sponsored by FoodBank Lakeside. The Brigadistas bring these despensas directly to homes when needed. They also prepare and serve a meal five days a week for up to 80 village children who otherwise have little to eat. And they distribute food, water, and medicine weekly to 48 families with a family member on dialysis. By any standard other than what happened during the shutdown, they are still very busy!

About three weeks ago it became evident that COVID had made its way to San Pedro and was doing serious damage. There are no medical facilities in the village of 5,000 but there were reports of people, especially the elderly, dying in their homes because they could not breathe. Anita and the Brigadistas, with the support of Poco a Poco, once again acted quickly. While masks, soap and disinfectant had been delivered all along, there was a push to deliver more. Poco a Poco brought out oxygen machines, oximeters and more PPE. Anita and a small group of Brigadistas started to go to the homes of ill people to deliver the oxygen machines, take blood oxygen levels and do whatever they could to support the patients and their families. They shrugged off the risk.

As COVID continued to spread in the village, it became obvious that the only way to address the spread of the virus was to begin to go house-to-house with oximeters, thermometers and blood pressure instruments to assess anyone who was ill. Dressed head to toe in PPE, some of the Brigadistas have started this campaign. It is scary to think of these young people taking on this task but they are doing so with a level of professionalism that is inspiring. And, as much as from our privileged perspective it does not make sense for youth to engage in such an endeavor, there is no option.

I share this story to offer hope and inspiration. These young people care about their villages. They know hunger and want to alleviate it for others. They have learned difficult lessons early in life and have responded with hard work that truly has reduced suffering. May they lead the way to a better future!

Thank you, Jose, Maria, Paul, Clemente, Yessenia, Xochitl, Eduardo, Jorge, Marco, Martha, Samuel, Ezequiel, Fernando, Jose Miguel, and Daniel.

The Village Of San Pedro Itzican

San Pedro Itzican (pop. about 5,000) is 27k east of Chapala. It is isolated by poor roads and by its distance from the more affluent areas of Ajijic and Chapala.

Most of the villagers in this area cook with wood they gather from the mountains. Many homes have tin or tarp roofs that are hardly water proof, most homes do not have showers, some do not have toilets, and there is no garbage pickup and no medical care. Sixty to eighty percent of the children are malnourished.

The saddest part of life in this area is that it ranks as having the highest rate per capita of childhood kidney disease globally. In the last year and a half, 28 people, almost all younger than 30, have died of the disease. One recent study found that 40 percent of all children in the area have some level of the disease.

About four years ago, an Ajijic based volunteer organization called Poco a Poco started to assist in this area. Poco a Poco has a program called Children’s Community Kitchen that serves an afternoon meal to children. They also provide weekly despensas to 48 young people on dialysis.

FoodBank Lakeside now collaborates with Poco a Poco and funds a monthly despensa to 200 of the most vulnerable families in the area. These families include the elderly, disabled, chronically ill, and unemployed.

Jose’s Story

Jose, a young member of the Brigadista team in San Pedro has kidney disease (CKD). His family has struggled to pay for food, medicine and Jose’s dialysis three times a week. Despite his condition, Jose stays active in the community and is studying to be a teacher. He is also a Brigadista and he gives lessons to younger Brigadistas about community service and ethics. Brigadistas learn essential skills, such as first aid and fire fighting, in order to better serve their community and take care of their neighbors. Jose is a brave young man, and there are many more like him. We feel our good fortune that we are able to provide special care to those with this difficult disease, all thanks to your grand generosity as a donor. Jose truly embodies our mission of ’neighbors helping neighbors’.