At a Mexican school, supplies are scarce. There are not enough desks to go around, computers are a fantasy and playgrounds have succumbed to rust and decay years ago.

According to a report by the World Bank Group (WBG), this sight is not uncommon in some Mexican states, and it gets much worse. Some schools in the poorest states, such as Tabasco, consist of no more than a one-sided structure made of palm leaves.

Although vast amounts of progress have been made to improve dismal conditions such as these by charitable groups like the Basic Education Development Project, only about 32 percent of students in the poorest areas of Mexico are now receiving aid.

One registered student organization at the UW is joining the rally to help our neighbor to the south: Realistic Effective Active Logistics (REAL).

"We want to create a better learning environment for children in Mexico," Carla Galvez, president of REAL said.

Originally from Michoacán, Mexico, Galvez understands the disparity of the situation first hand.

"When I went down to Cancun this summer, I visited a school there," she said. "I spoke with a director, and we may be going there to help out and hang out with the kids."

REAL will come to the aid of Mexican students, but only with the assistance of donations and fundraisers.

"As of right now we are raising funds to provide children in Cancun with school utensils and clothing items," Renato Mendoza, a member of the group said. "We are working on meeting our goal of raising $6,000."

The amount only accounts for the money that will be directly spent on helping the school. Additional fundraising will need to be done in order to pay for tickets to Mexico for REAL members.

Once in Cancun the group will take action creating a new playground to replace the old rusted one as well as purchasing the other supplies for the school.

REAL will be filming its trip to Mexico so others can share in their experience.

"We'll show the tape at UW so students can see what we are about, and so donors can see where their money went," Galvez said.

However, REAL is not limiting its sights to Mexico.

"Our main focus at the moment is on Mexico for next summer, but then we're going to focus on more international countries such as the Philippines," Christelle Reyes, vice-president of REAL said. "Most of this passion is driven by our care for the people who live in the countries our families are from."

Although not definite yet, Galvez said there is a possibility for a future collaborative effort with other registered student organizations, particularly those who focus on medicine.

Galvez also encourages all UW students to reach out, donate and get involved with REAL.

"If people are interested, they can visit our Web site," said Galvez. "And they should remember, all it takes is donating a dollar to make a difference. If 6,000 people donate a dollar, we've already reached our goal."

Reach columnist Camden Swita at features@thedaily.washington.edu.