Quest to Mexico

$916 donated

Given by 27 generous donors in over a year

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Support us to support an underprivileged family living in the slums of Rosarito, Mexico.

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We've decided to embark on a quest to Mexico in April, 2015 - to help a family living in extreme poverty out of the slums and into a home.

We've been concerned about the growing inequality which affects the world we live in. Fifty-five million new slum dwellers have been added to the global population since 2000, according to the U.N.

It's time to do our bit to help.

Each year teams of volunteers go to Mexico to help build homes for families on behalf of Break Free Expeditions (www.breakfreeexpeditions.com). House-building materials cost US$7,000 + US$1,000 for basic furniture.

We would appreciate any support you can provide. This will go directly to cover the cost of the project; towards our portion of the building supplies and the cost of keeping us there for 10 days to build the house, which is NZ$2,500 per person (not including flights from NZ to Mexico).

You can either donate directly to this site or get involved in one of the fundraising events we will be holding over the coming months. Details on those to follow.

Meg and Andy

Meet our house-build family! 30 March 2015

Things are really cranking up now that we have only 12 sleeps to go before we fly out... cannot believe that months of build-up are almost at an end! We have met some of the cool people we'll be building alongside annnnnd... we have a profile of the family who will get to take possession of the house we build!

Rosario is a single mum living with her son, Jose, in a ramshackle-looking blue-tarp village (pictured) about 45 minutes from the city of Rosarito. Rosario makes US$50 a week as a factory worker, most of which goes towards paying the mortgage on the small sliver of land she has bought. There isn't much left for food and practically nothing left for anything else after that. As things stand, she'd have no hope of ever being able to afford to actually build a house on this land herself without the assistance of everyone who has generously donated so far to this cause.

I know Meg and I cannot wait to get over there and meet Rosario and Jose and get really stuck into this project. I think it will be the most amazing feeling of our lives to be able to accomplish something that will make such a profound difference to the lives of these people.

Again, to everyone who has donated via this page and also direct to us for the various fundraising events we've run... a massive thank you! On behalf of us and, I'm sure, on behalf of Rosario and Jose too. Donations have now just about covered the costs of the building materials for the house but we are still short for the furniture at this point so please do share this cause with your friends and families and keep that money rolling in to help us get Rosario and Jose over the line! Even when we're over there, people can still donate :)

We will attempt to keep everyone updated on this as we get over there but unsure of how much time or net access we'll have so it may be later on in our travels that you hear more from us.

Meg will try to post pictures on her Facebook page from time to time so feel free to search her up there: Megan Howells (Shanks).

Thanks again!

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