Help is still needed in the following ways:

  • Volunteer help with typing and secretarial skills, especially in the Palo Alto area.
  • Volunteer help in translating materials into Spanish; also typing and/or proofreading in Spanish—preferably native Spanish speakers in the Palo Alto or Bay Area.

  • Persons driving down the west coast of Mexico who are willing to take down supplies and (depending on timing) bring up or take back children in need of reconstructive or orthopedic surgery at Stanford (Interplant) or Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children in San Francisco.

  • Although Project Piaxtla is increasingly independent economically, seed money is still needed from time to time for starting or expanding self-sufficiency projects. For example the group has hopes of building rat- and insect-proof storage bins and of expanding the cooperative corn bank. Outside monies are also still needed for the health promoter training program (the village of each health promoter pays half his living expenses during training and the program pays the other half and provides an initial medical kit).

  • Although the Hesperian Foundation still relies primarily on volunteer help, we now find it necessary to compensate some of our workers. Also, the preparation of books, papers, and educational materials runs up our expenses. The sale of Where There Is No Doctor brings in some money, but its low price—especially in poor countries—allows us little margin for reprinting. Also, an excellent film has been produced on the villager-run health program in Mexico (called Health Care by the People). Although most of the funds for the production of this film were raised by its producer, Elvie McKean, we still need financial help in producing a Spanish version, which could be an important educational tool throughout Latin America.

In short, we still need and appreciate your help.

The Hesperian Foundation

The Hesperian Foundation is a public, nonprofit foundation. Donations are tax-deductible when made to:

Hesperian Foundation

Box 1692

Palo Alto, California

94302

Project Piaxtla

Project Piaxtla no longer needs or accepts long-term outside volunteers. However, it still welcomes occasional short (one to four week) visits by persons with special skills who speak Spanish and are willing to teach. It also welcomes a limited number of short-term visits by persons who have special reasons for learning from the program or exchanging ideas. Anyone interested in visiting Ajoya should write directly to the village team:

Martin Reyes, Coordinador La Clinica de Ajoya

San Ignacio Sinaloa

Mexico

Write in Spanish and explain who you are and why you would like to visit. Please try to understand that the village team is now determined to make it on its own and is reluctant to have too many outsiders—especially Americans. This does not, however, mean that they do not welcome certain persons willing to teach special skills.