Have you heard of one of Rotary International's World Community Support projects, an affordable housing project that is a direct result of the Sister City partnership of Ashland, Oregon and Guanajuato, Mexico? This collabortive effort between multiple agencies has led to the construction of 50 affordable homes in Guanajuato communities, 200 Lorena Stoves and 6 playgrounds.

Published in am.com.mx by Cinthia Rosiles Bejarano:

Members of the Rotary Club of Guanajuato in conjunction with members of Rotary Club of Ashland donated 196,940 pesos for Andalusia DIF municipal building, 200 lorena stoves, and six playgrounds. 

"Support is for families in diverse communities of the city with the delivery of the stoves by the end of March", said Martha Siekman Romero, president of the unit.

To carry out the delivery of the check Rotarians gathered at the town hall with the mayor, Eduardo Romero Hicks and members of H. City Council. At the site were also Geraldine Garza Navarro, director of DIF, and Jose Luis Villagomez, director of administration.

Jesus Cazares Perez, president of the Rotary Club, said that this support was due to all the members and the work of Ashland Rotarians to Rotary International, which also supports.

This is the second donation made to the municipal DIF. The first was for the construction of 50 houses in the communities of Laurel, Santo Domingo, Cienega Negros, El Varal, San Bartolo and Llanos de La Fragua.

"The goal is to continue to support these communities in achieving a better quality of life, supporting families with the necessary materials for the construction of a Lorena stove and impact on the environment, reducing logging and product health risks of cooking with outdoor fires."

Also, six playsets for children will be installed on a property that has been donated by the community for such purposes, thereby increasing healthy living space for families, "said Geraldine Garza Navarro.

Lorena stoves replace open fires and are constructed of adobe (mud, straw, water). Replacing open fires in homes with Lorena stoves while supporting families with low incomes is a national strategy DIF has used for 25 years, a program that DIF plans to develop in all 32 states of the republic. The goal is to teach people to develop self-sufficiency, while reducing the cost of production, and helping preserve the environment with DIF implementing this program over 25 years.  With the Rotarian support of this cause, including the 92 thousand pesos going to the stoves and 105 thousand pesos for playgrounds provided by Rotary Club of Ashland members, 200 families in these communities will benefit.

See you out there!

Karen Cooper - OR.CA Mortgage Consultant - www.Quality4Loans.com