Kindergarden Construction In Spring of 2006 Project Mercy was made aware of a small kindergarten serving children 5 and 6 years old. The building was made of old garage doors, a dirt floor, no windows and there were gaps where the walls and roof met. The toilet facilities were a wooden “bench” commode, with three wooden walls, no roof and a curtain for a door. The playground was a bunch of old tires. The cooperative of women running the kindergarten were supervised by the Mexican Family Agency DIF, and the land was allocated for the use of school buildings only. There is a large space behind and alongside the old kindergarten for eventual expansion. Project Mercy decided to build a new kindergarten, with sanitary toilet facilities and a real playground. Community efforts The mothers and fathers of the kindergarten children cleared the land and layed a new slab. Klemmer and Associate volunteers worked on raising the walls and installing a fence for security around the new building. Regular Project Mercy volunteers and local Mexican residents finished off the construction of a kitchen/dining room, and an extended classroom, with a covered porch between the two. Four sanitary flush toilets and two hand basins were also installed. To the children’s delight we put in a covered slide and a swing set – playtime was never quite so much fun as it is now! The new kindergarten opened in time for September classes to begin. Costs The kindergarten cost just over $30,000 to build, with funding provided by Klemmer and Associate volunteers and the kind donations of Mr.& Mrs. Loch Crane. Thanks also to volunteers Milton Costello, Alfredo d’Escragnolle, Russ Weiler and Paul Hernandez for their invaluable assistance in this project. Education is of prime importance and we are happy to have given these children a head start in good conditions. More kindergardens are needed Project Mercy has been asked to assist other local schools with additional classrooms and furniture. We are striving to do just this and appreciate any financial assistance we can raise towards this goal. All donations are tax deductible. Information Contact Milton Costello at (619) 440 7869 or oldsi@cox.net for additional information regarding the daycare center