Founded in 1970, Patronato Pro Niños is a privately funded foundation that provides medical and dental care for the economically deprived children of San Miguel de Allende and surrounding villages.

Through our fund-raising efforts, which include the annual "Spring Break" (a week-long event in March), an annual auction and raffle held in July, and our weekly walking tours of the San Miguel historic district, we now have an operating budget of more than US $270,000 annually. This year we received a grant from the Mexican government for US $25,000 that paid for half of our new mobile dental clinic, as well giving us a monthly stipend of US $300.

Last year, we were able to provide dental care for over 2,000 children and medical care for almost 2,500 children. This year, with our new mobile facilities, we will be able to double the amount of care in our medical and dental programs.

Due to our extensive volunteer program, Patronato Pro Niños is well known in the communities it serves. At the schools, these volunteers work with teachers to identify the children who are in need of care. Whether it is birth defects, serious illnesses or injuries, we work closely with a variety of care providers and government agencies to make sure that the child gets the best care possible. One such child is Juan José, whose story was told by one of our volunteers.

You would think it would be simple to spend money on kids with medical problems. Sometimes it is hard to raise the money and, yes, sometimes it is hard to spend it. Let me explain ….

I regularly visit schools and find that a new teacher is often unable or, more to the point, is usually unwilling to identify kids with medical needs until a level of trust has been developed by the teacher in the work of the Niños. Take Juan José for instance, a young boy we have been working with since 1998.

During several visits to Juan José's one-room schoolhouse in La Petaca, a small community on the road to Dolores Hildago, his teacher told us that none of the students had serious medical problems. In time, after the teacher became more comfortable with our visits, he pointed out that Juan José, a student of his for the past few years, was born with spina bifida. That was the breakthrough.

There were meetings with the parents to obtain their support and permission to see whether medical care might be useful in his case. The father agreed to our request to help his son, exclaiming, "Yes, he is now getting too heavy to carry." And his other son was using a wheelbarrow to transport Juan José to and from school.

We started by driving Juan José and his parents to various specialists for consultation. In time, he was operated on by a surgeon here in San Miguel de Allende. 

Additional months of physical therapy followed in the hope of developing the upper body strength he needed to use crutches and braces. Then followed many trips to Querétaro for fitting these walking aids.

Sadly, the surgery, physical therapy, braces and crutches did not bring Juan José mobility. It appears that even with the help of so many he will never gain the use of his legs.

Patronato Pro Niños has now purchased a special heavy-duty wheelchair for him that is better suited to his rural environment. This is helping him to lead a more normal life.

The Patronato Pro Niños is especially proud of our mobile dental clinic, "Sonrisa," which visits the same schools that the volunteers visit. 

Our mobile dental clinic offers dental care and oral hygiene education to the children. The clinic, with its dentist and driver, stays in the village until all the children have been seen. We have had great support from Colgate of Mexico, which has donated brushes, toothpaste and videos on oral care. Armed with a video player, the mobile dental clinic is quickly spreading its anti-cavity information! It costs just US $2.50 to treat a child in this manner, and it is well worth it. This year, with the purchase of a new mobile dental clinic, we are in the process of turning the old dental van into a mobile medical screening clinic. These mobile facilities will extend our reach into the countryside.

Our Prevention Committee is working on its first village, La Compaña. Without potable water all year long, and with the children showing signs of severe diarrhea and malnutrition, this village was chosen by Salubridad, the San Miguel Health Department, as the place to begin our prevention efforts. In Stage I, water tanks were delivered, and the city of San Miguel began supplying clean water. In Stage II, their tortillas started being fortified with vitamins, as recommended by the Mexican National Institute of Nutrition, and in Stage III, dry latrines were built with the help of FAI. We are now seeing results in the health of these children.

For more information about our activities, visit our website at www.patronatoproninos.org  email us at info@patronatoproninos.org  or stop by our offices at San Francisco 1, Interior 4.

Organizers of the Florence Ershun Memorial Scholarship feature a program of music and poetry to raise funds for this worthwhile program. Among the well-known musicians and poets scheduled to perform are guitarist and composer Gil Gutiérrez and his eclectic group. Poet and playwright Lilia Trápaga also performs. Authors Syd Ginsberg and Joe Ershun read from their poetry, and interdisciplinary artist Tim Hazell offers a selection of music with ethnic roots.

Other guests are scheduled to recite and perform for this second memorial concert and reading.

The Florence Ershun Fund forms an important part of the Jovenes Adelante Scholarship Program. For more information contact José Luis Mendoza at 152-7305.

Music and poetry fundraiser for Florence Ershun Memorial Scholarship
Friday, April 7, 5pm, Sala Quetzal, Biblioteca Pública, Insurgentes 25
100 pesos

Passover Seder April 12

Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt some 3,300 years ago. Each year the Jews gather on the first night of Passover to reenact this dramatic event with a festive Seder.

This year a community Seder will be held on Wednesday, April 12, at 6pm at the Posada de la Aldea. The entire San Miguel community is welcome to attend. Those who wish may gather to socialize at 5pm. The Seder service will begin promptly at 6pm and will be followed by a complete Passover meal with traditional Jewish delicacies. 

The cost is 250 pesos. Reservations and advance payment are required and can be made by calling either Dorothy Jacobs at 152-0927 or Estelle Irwin at 152-1486.