Community Involvement Center
Alternative
Spring Break
Reynosa, Mexico
March 1 - 9, 2008
Application Information and Registration Fee
There will be 10 spaces available for the trip.
The completed application is due no later
than Monday, November 5, 2007 at 5:00pm in
the Community Involvement Center. Participant selection
will occur on Monday, November 12 (with some trips conducting
group interviews on November 10 and 11),
and applicants will be notified of their
status by 5:00pm on Wednesday, November 14. Applications
are available on-line at
http://www.rice.edu/service (click
on the "Alternative Spring Break Participant
Applications" link). You
can also view photos and read personal testimonies
from past participants on-line. By 5:00pm on Monday, November 26, those selected to participate
will need to confirm their involvement by
submitting a non-refundable registration
fee ($250.00), liability release, emergency
contact and insurance information, a
signed copy of the Conditions of Acceptance, and 10 personal solicitations (details on all these components will be discussed at the All ASB Meeting discussed below).
For more information on the trip or application
process, please contact the student Site
Leader, Avery Pickard (avery.pickard@rice.edu).
All selected
participants are required to attend a mandatory
team meeting 9:00-11:00pm
on Sunday, November 18 in Herring 100 (Auditorium).
Please hold this time on your schedule and
notify Christa Leimbach (leimbach@rice.edu)
at the time of your application if you have
a conflict with this meeting. Those that miss the meeting without prior consent will forfeit their place in the ASB program.
The registration fee includes
transportation, housing, meals, materials required
for service, some organized group activities,
and fees paid to the host agency. In most cases,
this registration fee does not even fully cover
the cost of transportation to the site. The
bulk of the trip expenses will be covered through
team and individual fundraising; all participants
are required to
assist with fundraising activities. Projects
may include bake sales, car washes, stadium
clean-ups, and other creative ideas. In addition,
participants will be required to assist with
personal solicitations to friends, family members,
co-workers, religious communities, civic organizations,
grant funds, and other sources.
A small amount of additional personal spending
money should be taken for souvenirs, meals
on the road, and optional activities.
While this is inexpensive for
a week-long service experience, we do not want
cost to be a prohibiting factor. If you are
concerned about funding your participation,
please indicated your desire to apply for a
partial scholarship by contacting Christa Leimbach (leimbach@rice.edu) before
the application deadline (5:00pm on Monday, November 5, 2007). Late requests will not be considered.
Reynosa, Mexico
The border between Mexico and the United States has been declared one of the most disparate borders in the world. There is no other border where such extreme wealth and immense poverty exists side by sided. The socioeconomic, environmental, and human rights struggle affect the lives of nearly everyone living on the border. Unlike in the United States, water, sewage and trash disposal, electricity, and education are commodities in Mexican border towns. Malnutrition and hunger are part of everyday life. Border towns are also facing increasing populations and overcrowding as people migrate north from southern Mexico in search of jobs in the many maquiladoras (factories) located along the border.
One of the areas facing such problems is Reynosa, Mexico, a city of about one million people, located across the border from McAllen, Texas. It is a rapidly growing city, and its economic base consists of oil and natural gas, livestock, agriculture, and industry. Five industrial parks that house over 150 manufacturing plants are located in Reynosa. The destination for the majority of these manufactured products is the United States. The maquiladoras in Reynosa employ over 65,000 people, but most offer extremely low wages and poor working conditions.
Puentes de Cristo
Puentes de Cristo is a cooperative partnership between the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Iglesia Presbiteriana Nacional de Mexico. Although Puentes de Cristo is a Christian organization, it is not required that you be of the Christian faith to participate. Religious diversity is encouraged.
Puentes offers four programs -- Self-Development of People and Communities, Preventative Health Services and Nutrition, Mission Participation, and New Church Development -- to the community. The goal of these programs is to help the Mexican people become self-sufficient, as well as to enable the poor to live with dignity and hope, while empowering communities with the beliefs of the Presbyterian Church.
Service
Our service will focus primarily on construction projects for the benefit of the Reynosa Community. Other activities may include arts and crafts with the neighborhood children, yard work, reading and educational activities, working with preventative health care and children's nutrition programs, cleaning, etc. Typical construction activities include digging, mixing cement, building concrete walls, moving dir, etc. Please note that no construction experience is necessary. Mexican masons will supervise all of the basic construction.
Accommodations
We will be staying in the Dormitory/Conference Center in the Las Cumbres neighborhood of Reynosa. There are two dormitory areas, one for females and one for males. The rooms are equipped with bunk beds, sinks, showers, toilets, and ceiling fans. Staying in the Puentes dorm allows participants to interact with children in the neighborhood, listen to guest speakers, and experience cultural activities that would not be possible for teams staying in Texas.
Activities
In addition to volunteer work, our team will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational, recreational, and cultural activities. In order to better understand the issues faced by people along the Mexican border, we may tour hospitals, schools, factories, and other institutions. There will also be time to participate in other activities such as church services, sports activities, community get-togethers, and special events with the people we are working with. And, of course, there will be time just to hang-out and have fun as a group.
Health
Upon acceptance, participants will be required
to complete a medical questionnaire and possibly
a medical interview as well. Examples of the kinds
of questions that may be asked are as follows:
- Have you had any chronic conditions requiring medical
care?
- Will you need any special medications or
medical care while on this trip?
- Are you allergic
to any foods or medicines?
- Do you have any other
dietary restrictions?
While traveling to an under-developed
country it is important to be aware of the
health risks associated with that travel.
Information will be provided for all participants
regarding the current health risks in their
host country as they are outlined in country
specific information sheets by the Center
for Disease Control. Along with this information,
students are encouraged to seek an appointment
with their primary care physician over winter
break in order to receive the proper vaccinations
and medications needed for travel to their
host country. Depending on the destination,
these could include prevention for malaria,
typhoid, tetanus, diptheria, hepatitis, or
other illnesses. The cost of these immunizations
may range from $100-$200 dollars per person
and is not included in the registration fee.
It is also important to recognize that while
traveling in an underdeveloped country, the
medical facilities will not be the same as
in the United States. Differences should
be expected in the following areas:
- The actual
medical facilities (equipment, automation
of services);
- The level of communication
and cooperation between doctor and patient;
- Assumptions about the point at which medical
treatment is needed; and
- Methods such as
medical forms, laboratory tests, and prescribed
treatments.
Safety
While abroad, it is imperative
that all students follow the safety guidelines
put forth by the Community Involvement Center.
These guidelines are based on Consular Reports
and information from the United States and
host country's governments. The following
are some of the precautions being taken:
- Travel alone will not be permitted;
- Travel at night and on dark, unsafe roads will not be permitted;
- Travel will only be conducted with the whole group, a tour guide,
a driver, and private transportation; and
- While abroad, students will abide by all rules
established and decisions made by the
staff participant.
Prior to the trip, there will be several
meetings to address issues of safety, including personal
property such as valuables and passports, appropriate
dress, and culturally appropriate behavior that will
alleviate drawing attention to oneself. When in another
country, you are often surrendering many of the rights
and freedoms that United States citizens take for
granted. This should be kept in mind at all times
during the trip.
Conditions of Acceptance
Although we do not want to discourage anyone from
applying, we want to ensure that the conditions
of participation are clear. Please take a moment
to read the conditions below.
- Participants in the Alternative Spring Break
program are expected to
exhibit sensitivity to the host culture; observe
local rules and laws; and abide by the philosophy,
structure, and regulations of our host agencies.
- A primary goal of the program is learning. Participants
are expected to prepare for the trip by completing
the packet of readings provided by the Community
Involvement Center and attending pre-trip orientation
meetings. In addition, participants will be encouraged
to keep journals and participate in-group reflection
while on the trip.
- The Community Involvement Center will assist
in arranging reasonable accommodations on-site
and arranging service work to be done in conjunction
with the host agencies. Nevertheless, the exact
nature and conditions of these accommodations and
work cannot be guaranteed. Many of the conditions
we expect at home (i.e. hot water, daily showers,
washers/dryers, privacy, etc.) may not be available.
- The participants will be responsible for participating
in all fundraising activities, including personal
solicitations.
- It is the participant's responsibility to obtain
a passport and any necessary visas (if required
for the trip) before he/she goes and to bring his/her
own spending money for free-time activities, a
few meals, and other personal expenses.
- It is the participant's responsibility to insure
he/she is covered by a travel/health insurance
plan for the duration of the program, which includes
emergency medical evacuation.
- The participants are responsible for making all
decisions regarding appropriate health precautions.
- Participants will not consume/use alcohol or
illegal drugs, smoke, or engage in sexual activity
while on the trip.
- Participants must at all times be with another
member of the group. In general, activities outside
the scope of the program will not be accommodated
and participants should not make outside commitments.
- All participants are required to follow all
safety guidelines established by the Community
Involvement Center while on an Alternative Spring
Break trip, as well as during travel to and from
the site.
- In addition, following the trip, group members
will be responsible for presentations and information
sessions to be given to the Rice community in the
fall semester.
- Once accepted into the program and the registration
fee is paid, participants are financially obligated
to the full purchase price of their plane ticket
and/or agency fees if they drop out for any reason,
since these are non-refundable and will cost more
than the initial $250 registration fee.
