Pat Baxter and her husband, Ken, lived at Lake Chapala for six years before the pivotal moment when she recognized that she had the ability to organize a solution to a desperate situation and change the lives of dozens of children, and their families.
“I didn’t really fully understand the situation, the extent of the problem discovered that my maid’s 15-year-old daughter quit attending school to allow her younger siblings to continue to sixth grade, as had she had. Even with both parents working, there was no way to stretch their meager income far enough for all of the children to stay in school.
“I was upset and needed to talk to my good friend and neighbor Deborah Neil. As soon as I explained the situation, before we even knew what the costs would be, she said, ‘OK, no problem. We’ll split the expenses for her, and maybe we can help the younger ones, too.’”
Then the two expats, the housekeeper and her daughter visited the secundaria (seventh through ninth grade school) in San Juan Cosalá. There the women found a friend and ally in the office manager Ruth Gareau. The women were delighted and shocked to discover that all of the expenses (an athletic and a classroom uniform, school fees, books and supplies) to put the youngster back into school totaled 2,500 pesos.
Surprised by the small amount of money (to them) that blocked these girls from being educated, the office manager described the depth of the problem in San Juan Cosalá and showed them a list of students who had pre-registered for school but who would not be attending due to finances.
“When Gareau explained that many local families are existing on 50 to 75 dollars per person, we suddenly understood that 200 dollars can be a huge roadblock to families that have several children. I was reeling, I couldn’t comprehend how at that level of income they could get enough together to pay the smaller costs for even one child to attend primary school.”
Baxter sent a single email to each of her friends, on both sides of the border. “I just told them the facts, and added that this is a one-woman show. I wouldn’t spend the money and time required to file a corporation and obtain non-profit status. They just have to trust me to put all the money into educating kids. For the people we all know up north, this is such a small amount of money: 16 dollars a month – four dollars a week to break the cycle and educate kids who otherwise are doomed to grow up and raise yet another generation of children who can’t finish school. I clicked the send button, crossed my fingers.”
Baxter hoped to find sponsors for 12 children that first year. When she received the responses, she realized there were enough people helping to keep 54 kids in class. The second year there were 75 students and this year the 100 students range from a six-year-old in primary to a young man earning a 9.75 GPA in his second year of university.
Baxter says she is only the pivot point and that she organizes all the help others provide. “This program could not fly without Ruth Gareau. She’s at the school and knows the students and their families and she’s willing to spend her days off combing Guadalajara for the best buys to save us money on the uniforms and supplies.”
A sponsor suggested the grass roots educational program be named Pathways. It was, of course, a perfect match that resonates with sponsors and students who are focused on an educational pathway leading to a better life. Students in the program are required to attend classes regularly and to maintain an 8 of 10 point grade average. Baxter and her sponsors know that their encouragement and financial assistance is only part of the solution.
The students and their parents must be ready to step up and do work needed to stay in the program and in school. Still it’s not all work. Last spring Pathways took a bus load of their students to Guadalajara to the zoo. Most of the children had not been beyond Jocotepec and they saw many amazing sights long before they left the bus to see the animals.
Baxter keeps all of the sponsors up to date on their students’ progress via Google Drive, where there is a file for each student. She includes a current photo of the child with a parent, all of the year’s report cards and a short bio of the family situation.
Baxter is still a one-woman show, putting sponsors and needs together. ”Not all of the needs are the actual school costs. When Ajijic dentist Maria Luisa offered to clean the children’s teeth we discovered that 19 of the kids needed 198 fillings and four extractions – a total cost of over 60,000 pesos. I’m still looking for that money, but when I receive a donation of 200 or 500 pesos it goes into the dental fund.”
My final question was about the girl who little knew she would help create change and bring help to so many San Juan Cosalá students. ”She’s great,” said Baxter.” She’d missed a lot and had to start in the class below her younger sister. I suspect her success is motivated by the memories of helping clean houses. She’s made it clear that’s not what she wants to do, and now she can pick her own path. She’ll probably be first in line when classes resume on August 18.”
Even with more than 100 children in the program this year, there are more to educate and many ways to help. Visit https://operationfeedsjc.squarespace.com/scholarships-for-children to see more photos of the students and to learn more about the program. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you can help.
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