Juan & Maria need our help! Juan died tragically!
Donation protected
On Wednesday, May 27th, 2020 I got a distressing call at 6 am from a family I've know for 29 years that lives in a small Zapotec village in Oaxaca, Mexico. It was the daughter letting me know that my long time friend, Juan, was in critical condition. They weren’t able to get the medical help that he needed. They took him all the way to Oaxaca City and the hospital denied him because he didn’t have COVID-19. Nevertheless, he was having lung issues and there were no respirators. I felt so helpless to hear this news. I went into action. I contacted my friends in Oaxaca City and by the end of the day I found a doctor in a clinic that could receive him, but it was too late. Juan died unnecessarily from lack of decent medical care. It is so heart wrenching to know that he could have been saved.
I met Juan and Maria in 1991 and for decades they became a part of my family, and part of my authentic travel experiences to Oaxaca. I brought my children to their home year after year, as well as groups of travelers wanting to learn about their way of life and Pre-Hispanic cultures. They are rug weavers and a visit to their home is one of the highlights of our experiences in Oaxaca. Culturally, the men in this village, called Teotitlan del Valle, weave the rugs and the women card and spin the wool. 
Juan was the only weaver in the family and now they have lost their only source of income. He had two unfinished rugs left in the looms with no one to finish them.
Before the pandemic Juan & Maria struggled to earn enough to have their basic needs met, and now, without Juan's beautiful rugs to sell, the family is in dire straits.
This fund will be used to pay for funeral expenses for Juan, to give Maria, his wife, the medical care she needs, and provide food and other basic needs for the family. Juan was a talented rug weaver just like his father, but he felt left behind the times in comparison to other more business savvy weavers in the village who are trilingual ( Zapotec, Spanish & English) . Yes, even in this small village of 6,000 people, who are dedicated to weaving , there is a disparity of income that has sadly emerged in the last 20 years.
You can be assured that your donation will go directly to these women, his wife, daughter & granddaughter (pictured above) who now have been left without their only source of income, Juan's beautiful rugs that they sold. 
Oaxaca is just now entering into their peak of the virus and the situation will be getting worse. Eight elders in this village have suddenly passed away in the past week. Now is the time to help and support them!
There are many more families of weavers who are in need, and after helping Juan's family, we will provide aid to other families in need in Juan's village. We will send the money via Western Union directly in their name. I have a friend who is a native Zapotec born in this village and went to university in the US. He is now in Teotitlan and is helping me organize this (Thank You Samuel!). So you can be sure that this money will end up directly in the hands of Juan's family and other marginalized women & families like the ones pictured below (They are often pictured with my daughters).
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Thank you for your kindness, interest and care! We can make a difference and help others with this type of direct fund.
Kindly,
Dawn Feuerberg
Owner & Founder
Aurora Adventures
An authentic travel company
In memory of Juan Basan Lopez. April 14th 1949-May 27th 2020
I met Juan and Maria in 1991 and for decades they became a part of my family, and part of my authentic travel experiences to Oaxaca. I brought my children to their home year after year, as well as groups of travelers wanting to learn about their way of life and Pre-Hispanic cultures. They are rug weavers and a visit to their home is one of the highlights of our experiences in Oaxaca. Culturally, the men in this village, called Teotitlan del Valle, weave the rugs and the women card and spin the wool. Juan was the only weaver in the family and now they have lost their only source of income. He had two unfinished rugs left in the looms with no one to finish them.Before the pandemic Juan & Maria struggled to earn enough to have their basic needs met, and now, without Juan's beautiful rugs to sell, the family is in dire straits. This fund will be used to pay for funeral expenses for Juan, to give Maria, his wife, the medical care she needs, and provide food and other basic needs for the family. Juan was a talented rug weaver just like his father, but he felt left behind the times in comparison to other more business savvy weavers in the village who are trilingual ( Zapotec, Spanish & English) . Yes, even in this small village of 6,000 people, who are dedicated to weaving , there is a disparity of income that has sadly emerged in the last 20 years. You can be assured that your donation will go directly to these women, his wife, daughter & granddaughter (pictured above) who now have been left without their only source of income, Juan's beautiful rugs that they sold. Oaxaca is just now entering into their peak of the virus and the situation will be getting worse. Eight elders in this village have suddenly passed away in the past week. Now is the time to help and support them! There are many more families of weavers who are in need, and after helping Juan's family, we will provide aid to other families in need in Juan's village. We will send the money via Western Union directly in their name. I have a friend who is a native Zapotec born in this village and went to university in the US. He is now in Teotitlan and is helping me organize this (Thank You Samuel!). So you can be sure that this money will end up directly in the hands of Juan's family and other marginalized women & families like the ones pictured below (They are often pictured with my daughters).
. Thank you for your kindness, interest and care! We can make a difference and help others with this type of direct fund. Kindly,
Dawn Feuerberg
Owner & Founder
Aurora Adventures
An authentic travel company
In memory of Juan Basan Lopez. April 14th 1949-May 27th 2020Organizer
Rio Fleming
Organizer
Morro Bay, CA