After deciding to work hard, save as much money as possible and quit my job to travel South and Central America, I knew giving back to a local community within a Spanish culture was something I’d love to do. After searching orphanages online, I couldn’t find one that interested me. It was initially hard to contact orphanages directly, find exact information about volunteer duties and most were organised through third party companies that requested a fee for their services. It wasn’t until I’d almost given up my search when a friend mentioned a wonderful organisation in Mexico they’d heard about through an Australian fundraiser, Misión México.
With a bit of paper work and some communication back and forth, I was somewhat nervously excited to embark on a charity adventure in the south of Mexico. The opportunity to contribute to an amazing refuge and surf the crashing waves on the black sand beaches with the kids were all ahead of me. It was an experience I’d live to never forget.
As a backpacker at the end of his trip, I took the 17 hour bus from Mexico City to Tapachula, which actually took 19. A positive was that it did give me a nice view of the scenery on the way in; luscious green fields, thick vegetation and steep mountains on the horizon. But it was the harsh, run-down state of the town as we drove in that gave me a sense of how the kids have lived their childhoods before being welcome by the well-kept home of Misión México.
As I was led through the front gates, a little concerned about how my basic Spanish would fare, a small child ran straight up me and said “Hiiii”, asking how I was and for my name, all in perfect English. At this point, I knew I’d be just fine.
It took only minutes for the kids and volunteers to make me feel right at home. A mixture of nationalities, travel stories and lengths of time spent at the orphanage made for easy conversation amongst the volunteers, and the fact the majority of kids introduced themselves to me made it easy to meet them all too. I knew on day one how much fun I’d have and how quickly the next six weeks would fly by.
Alan and Pam Skuse are two inspirational people. The dedication and ability to run such a well-oiled orphanage for so many kids with such a variety of backgrounds left me in awe. They have sacrificed so much for these kids and to see how happy the kids are now and how successful some have become, such as doctors, was truly inspiring.
The best memories that I’ve taken away from my six weeks are the simple yet priceless expressions of happiness on the young kids’ faces. All the children have come from disadvantaged or abused backgrounds and many were not exposed to the fun-filled activities Misión México provides. Witnessing the wide smiles and laughs of happiness when kids go to a water park for the first time in their lives, or play in the waves close to shore on their first ever beach trip. This was priceless. These are the memories now etched into my mind that I’ll never forget.
I’ve been lucky enough to continue to volunteer in other ways since leaving Mexico. My professional career is in public relations, so by teaming up with other volunteers doing similar work around the world, I’m helping to spread the message about Misión México through the media. As the orphanage is reliant on donations and the goodwill of interested people, you don’t just have to volunteer in Mexico to be part of the good cause.
Sometimes it’s easy to stop and think if you or your volunteering will make a change. Am I actually making a difference? Well, my answer is yes. Although I might just be one of hundreds of pieces in the Misión México puzzle, it’s the bigger picture of a child’s life that counts, and I’m honoured to be part of it.
By James Riordan
You can find out more about the good work of Mision Mexico
HERE