Sharing his experiences in the latest humanitarian trip by the Rotary Club of Santa Clarita, local bankruptcy lawyer Louis J. Esbin discussed the club’s goals of spreading self-sustainability and providing resources for locals.

“Every year, (the Rotary Club) always plans a humanitarian trip to somewhere in Central or South America,” said Esbin.

On this trip to Mérida, Yucatán in Mexico, members of the organization, consisting of Esbin, Prema Wylie and Jim and Susan Lentini, provided locals water purification systems, medical supplies and school supplies.

“While we were there, we distributed about 50 personal water purification (systems), we provided diabetes supplies for a diabetic clinic… we handed out 35 backpacks with school supplies,” Esbin said.

The group also went on to fund computers for a senior center, funding for a preschool and were able to go in and finish the painting and everything that needed to be finished for the preschool and an after school facility.

“The significance of all the funding we do is that it must go towards sustainable projects,” said Esbin. “On this trip we planted 600 trees… all the trees were native trees to the Yucatán and they either had medicinal value or they had fruit that people could pick.”

Esbin noted one moment during the trip when they were handing out backpacks to students and asked to snap a photo of a girl with the backpack, but she wouldn’t smile because she had a cleft palate. They had asked the president of the local rotary club if they had any connections to Operation Smile, an organization that the SCV chapter works alongside with, and were able to make an appointment.

“The president explained to the girl’s parents what they had done and told her to bring her to the clinic for a free screening and surgery,” said Esbin. “The surgery took about 45 minutes… (and it) brought a smile to a child. Overall, it was a very worthwhile trip.”