Safety and Security

CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Tijuana B.C., Mexico
December 3, 2010
Gilda Villaplana, President / Josefina Pataky, Executive Director
Fundacion Esperanza de Mexico
Dear Gilda and Josefina:
I would like to express once again my appreciation for the excellent humanitarian work that the
Fundacion Esperanza performs and the wonderful volunteer opportunities that it offers to American young people. Thank you for allowing my son Jeremy to participate in several of your programs last summer. I understand that we are arranging for a group of Consulate staff members to come work on one of your construction projects after the New Year. Again, muchas gracias! I am sorry to hear that the Travel Warning issued by the U.S. Department of State continues to discourage the families of some of your prospective American volunteers to allow their participation. There are clearly misconceptions about this Travel Warning that I hope this letter will help resolve.
The U.S. Government has an obligation to inform our citizens about travel safety in foreign countries, but we only issue only one document concerning travel conditions for any foreign country. That document must broadly reflect conditions throughout that country. In one as large as Mexico, this is obviously a difficult task considering that security and travel conditions can vary widely from one region to another. Much of the language in the current Travel Warning is not directed specifically towards Baja California, but instead reflects security concerns in other areas of Mexico bordering the United States. As we all know, violence among organized crime cartels -- and between those cartels and Mexican authorities – has intensified in areas in and around cities such as Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Reynoso in recent months. Victims have included American citizens, such as the employees of our Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez who were killed earlier this year. The Travel Warning has been modified in response to events in those areas. For this reason, it “urge[s] U.S. citizens to defer unnecessary travel to Michoacán and Tamaulipas, to parts of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, and Coahuila;” however, it makes no such recommendation regarding travel to Tijuana or other parts of Baja California. The language concerning crime and insecurity in Baja California in the current Travel Warning is essentially unchanged from all of the previous travel notices over the past two years. We acknowledge that there are problems of crime and narco-violence here, but we also recognize that authorities in Baja at the federal, state, and municipal levels have made progress in combating crime and have scored some important successes in 2010.
I hope that you will find this clarification useful and that the Fundacion Esperanza will continue to benefit from the involvement of American volunteers.
Warm regards,
Steven Kashkett

From our long term volunteer: Monica

To all the wonderful volunteers and Esperanza supporters,

We had a wonderful Summer and are off to a great Fall! Groups came streaming through from June to August and made a world of difference for so many families. Not only do we continue to build numerous homes, but also building and strengthening friendships, families, communities, partnerships. I must tell all of you that you really touch the hearts of the families. After groups leave, the next time we’re in the community, the families will ask, “How’s so-and-so? Have you heard from X group? They were so nice/funny/strong.” You may only be in Tijuana physically for a week, but know that the passion, energy, and love you bring stays with the staff and families and we really miss you! I had the opportunity to visit the new communities in Oaxaca and participate in the work there in early October. In some ways, it’s completely different than Tijuana, but in others it’s the same. If you’ve seen the pictures from the first group that went down, the landscape is absolutely gorgeous. There are lots of families that are eagerly waiting for their homes and continuing day after day in the building process. I would highly recommend groups start planning trips to Oaxaca as well to get to know another part of Mexico and meet all the wonderful families there! A few weeks ago, I ended my career as a long-term volunteer with Esperanza and am now figuring out what to do with the rest of my life! I just want to say thank you to all the volunteers who I had the privilege to meet during my 8 months in Tijuana. The experience would not have been the same without you and I thank you for all that you taught me, the laughs we shared together, and the inspiration you gave me. Please stay in touch and I hope our paths will cross again!!

Much love,

Monica

Rio de Voluntad

Rio de Voluntad

Life, as a river, opens her course to a variety of paths; nevertheless returns to the same place in the end. The path in which I was navigated was one of social services and humanitarian work, perhaps best stated as service learning.

Fundacion Esperanza de Mexico was my boat along the journey in which I choose to sail. The marginalized, urban, Mexican family and her extraordinary culture was the path by which we were navigated. In this boat, I was accompanied by a group of volunteers of distinct cultures and nationalities- United States, Pakistan, Heiti, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Vietnam, etc- and of course ¨la sange Mexicana¨ as the song goes “al sonoro rugir del cañón”.

We all shared a common mission and used instruments of picks, shovels, buckets, gloves, sunglasses and tools. The sweat that soaked our backs was hardly noticed as the salary of our work was paid by coins of gold that is never spent but piled in the pockets of our heart.
Each Esperanza home is a testament to the borders that have been broken down between our communities, in which each block leaves the fingerprints of men and women hungry for equality, and in this space we leave behind a seed in which bears fruit to the sentiments of gratitude and mutual admiration. For each one of us, an Esperanza home represents the absolute truth that we can shout for all the world to hear, ¨La unidad hace la fuerza¨¨Unity shall be our strength¨ and we sing with joy the common Spanish phrase, ¡Si se puede, si se puede, si se pudo, si se pudo! Yes, we can when work together, and so we can continue if we are united.

As Juan Donoso Cortes said:
¨Hay que unirseno para estar juntos, sino para hacer algo juntos¨
¨We don´t just come together to merely be together but rather to accomplish something great together¨

This experience achieves great changes in the hearts of each and every person involved. It is an effort that is only realized with the our open hearts and souls of many people appreciating and valuing a world beyond our own.

Jorge Torres

summer volunteer from Tijuana, 2010

Rio de Voluntad

La vida es como un río que va abriendo su curso por distintos senderos, sin embargo sabes que desemboca en un mismo lugar. El sendero que esta vez me ha tocado navegar es el del compromiso social y trabajo humanitario o en otros términos mejor utilizados APRENDIZAJE DE SERVICIO (service-learning).

Fundación Esperanza de México ha sido la barca en esta ocasión en la que elegí zarpar. La familia urbana marginada mexicana y su extraordinaria cultura fue el sendero por el que nos toco navegar. En esta barca no fui solo, un grupo de líderes voluntarios de distintas culturas y nacionalidades (Estados Unidos, Pakistán, Haití, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Vietnam, etc.) y claro que la sangre mexicana como narra su Himno: “al sonoro rugir del cañón”.

Todos vestimos la misma playera de ESPERANZA y con todos los instrumentos materiales, pico, pala, cubeta, guantes, lentes, etc. No nos importo sudar “la gota gorda” porque al fin de cuentas el salario de nuestros esfuerzos era contribuido con monedas de oro que no se desgastan y que se llevan en el bolsillo del corazón.

Cada casa “Esperanza” construida guarda el misterio de fronteras que se quiebran, en cada uno de sus bloques están plasmadas las huellas dactilares de hombres y mujeres con hambre de igualdad social, en cada uno de sus espacios a lo ancho y a lo profundo se quedo sembrada una semilla que florece con el tiempo con sentimientos de admiración y gratitud. Para cada uno de nosotros una casa “Esperanza” representa una verdad absoluta que podemos gritar desde aquí hasta el resto del mundo: “La unidad hace la fuerza” y unirnos al canto de alegría popular que canta: ¡Si se puede, si se puede, si se pudo, si se pudo!

Juan Donoso Cortés decía:
“Hay que unirse no para estar juntos, sino para hacer algo juntos”

Esta experiencia logra hacer cambios relevantes en el corazón de cada uno, obra que se construye solo con la disponibilidad y apertura de nuestras almas y la voluntad de nuestros corazones para apreciar lo que esta más allá de nuestras propias narices.

En esta gran familia de Fundación Esperanza de México nuestros esfuerzos de voluntarios son sumados a la cuenta de una gran estructura de comunidades mexicanas que trabajan entre sí mismas brindándonos la oportunidad de estar ahí, de hombro a hombro al lado de ellos.
Bajo el lente de mi lupa la sumatoria de todos los esfuerzos por un bien común, sin distinción de clases ni fronteras, es el resultado de un mundo con Esperanza.

Jorge Torres (voluntario 2010)

Oaxaca Trek, Day 6

After an evening of dancing and singing around the campfire and playing soccer on the beach in the pouring rain, our group woke up to a delicious breakfast of ¨tamales dulces¨ -- sweet tamales flavored with cinnamon and filled with custard. Community members from El Venado and friends from Rio Grande had provided the food for us. As we packed up our tents and bid adieu to the community members who had joined us for the night`s festivities, we then set off on our next adventure with the family of El Profe...

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22nd

LAKE CHACAHUA

Boat rides. Crocodiles. and Rainstorms.
Lake Chacahua

¨La Lancha¨

One boat ran out of gas, so Rigo´s boat coming to save the day!


Our boat up and going again.
Señor Dan Bradley
Islands of mangrove trees.
Crocodile conservation effort.
Baby crocs!

Big crocs!

The swimming beach at Chacahua.

David kicking back and relaxing.

The architect Javier doing the same.

Bird island!

Right after getting hit by a RAINSTORM!

Where in the world can you dry your clothes in the kitchen of the restaurant you´re about to eat at?

Only in Chacahua.

Grilling fish for dinner!

Dinner in Chacahua is SERVED!

Oaxaca Trek, Day 5, Part 2

SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 21st

EL VENADO: Beach Camping and Turtle Hatchery

After-work adventures entailed a trip out to the beach near the Esperanza community of El Venado for a night of camping with the community members.



An 11 year-old girl from El Venado talked with us about the salt production process that she and her family partake in as a means of income. She has been working in this process since she was 6 years old, helping collect the salt-infused soil from which the salt is extracted through a rudimentary distillation process. We had hoped to join in on the process, but due to it being rainy season here on the coast of Oaxaca, it is not possible to do so during this part of the year. Future volunteer groups that are here during January and February will have the opportunity to partake in this unique opportunity!

Our group circling around in anticipation of the salt production presentation.

Dan partaking in much deserved down-time.

Erin doing the same.

Local P.E. teacher, Jose, joined us for the evening and led our group in some beach exercises!

Before dinner, we were joined by elders of the El Venado community who have taken it upon themselves to become caretakers of the sea turtles in this region. Sea turtles will come to this 3 mile stretch of coastline to lay anywhere from 60 to 200 eggs beneath the sand in a once-in-a-lifetime birthing ritual. The turtle will never meet its offspring, for once it lays its eggs, it will return to the sea. While the sea turtle population here once thrived, the numbers have since plummeted, due in part to the `coyotes` i.e. people that stalk the beach to steal a turtle´s eggs right after they are laid. Turtle eggs are a delicacy, so many times the `coyotes`are locals stealing the eggs for their restaurants. The elders of the El Venado community have set up a guarded hatchery for the turtle eggs. Four times a night, at 10pm, 12am, 2am and 4am, volunteers from the community set out on foot in pairs to cover the 3 mile stretch of coastline tracking signs of turtles that have just laid their eggs. When they find fresh tracks, they dig down and retrieve the eggs, bringing them back to the hatchery. At the hatchery, each set of eggs is buried together, deep beneath the sand, and marked with the date they were laid. Approximately 45 days later, the eggs will hatch and the baby turtles will make their way out to sea. The task of protecting turtles can be a dangerous one, as these caretakers have been threatened many times by coyotes they encounter during their nightly searches.
El Venado Turtle hatchery.

El Venado elders discussing their turtle hatchery.

Each wooden post in the sand marks a batch of turtle eggs that have been retrieved and are awaiting the time of hatching.

We had the opportunity to join one of the elders on a midnight search for turtles. He led the way with his machete at a quick pace as we followed the coastline 1.5 kilometers toward a distant mountain. The moon was nearly full and we were able to see without lights, though we carried them with us. The 3 kilometer round-trip adventure took several hours, as trekking through the sand is not easy. I was humbled at the thought of the El Venado members volunteering their time to make this trek every night, four times a night, during egg-laying season. Right now is NOT egg laying season, so we had been forewarned that the likelihood of actually finding turtle eggs was extremely small. Sure enough, during our trek we saw one sign of a turtle, but no eggs had been laid.

Looking out towards half the coastline to cover. Our destination: the base of the distant mountain.

Upon our disappointed arrival back to our campsite and the location of the turtle hatchery, within 5 minutes there was a hollering from the beach in front of our tents. A turtle had made its way to our very campsite and had begun its ritual of laying eggs!! A group of us gathered around the backside of the turtle, between it and the ocean, as the elders carefully moved the sand to the side, giving us a view of the egg laying process. The elders informed us that during this once-in-a-lifetime ritual, the turtle goes into a trance during the actual egg laying and thus is not aware of our presence. After the eggs are laid, the turtle packs the sand around the eggs and during this part of the ritual, tears can be seen falling from its eyes. We stood in awe and wonder as witnesses to this sacred event.

The turtle we observed laid 91 eggs!

The turtle returns to the ocean, never to know its offspring.

Oaxaca Trek, Day 5, Part 1

Our day’s work included work in the Los Olivos del Sol community: pouring the floors at Laura and Manuel’s houses, pouring the foundation at Alberto’s house, and re-digging out the foundation trenches after a night of pouring rain at Mauro’s soon-to-be-home.

2nd ESPERANZA HOUSE: Laura´s!

Laura.

Andrew. Prepping the rebar for the floor.

Juana and the Cacalote community pitching in!

Eduardo. Aimee. Dan.

Everyone pitching in to load the cement mixer for Laura´s floor!
*****

3rd ESPERANZA HOUSE: ALBERTO´S

Mason laying the rocks in the foundation trenches of Alberto´s home.

Hard to stay clean when mixing cement!

The bucket line. Pouring foundation of Alberto´s house.

Rosa and Erin. (note Rosa´s barefeet: community members showed up to help with whatever clothes they had - from barefeet and flipflops to skirts and blouses.

Erin pouring the concrete into the foundation trenches.

*****

4th ESPERANZA HOME: MAURO´S
Romeo (our driver) with Mauro, soon-to-be Esperanza home owner!

Breaking ground for Mauro´s home!
Hardest worker of us all. This man isn´t even associated with Esperanza, he is a neighbor of the Los Olivos del Sol community who showed up to dig foundation trenches at Mauro´s home before we arrived and was still working when our group left. Amazing.

Josue and Rosa digging in.

*****

While wheel barrowing the heavy cement from the cement mixer to the floor of the house is most often the task of men, Aimee rallied a few of us ladies to take over the task while pouring the floor at Laura’s house. Maneuvering the heavy wheelbarrow up the tentative boards to the house was a tricky ordeal, but we ladies persevered, with big ol’ smiles and a lot of laughter!

The all-ladies wheelbarrow team!

Katrina, Hana, Aimee, Laura, Erin, Deana

Laura and Aimee lining up to pour the concrete floor.

Rosa joined in on the fun!

*****

By the time our group took a break for lunch, Eduardo was covered from head to foot in cement dust, among other things that had been loaded into the cement mixer! Lunch was provided by various community members of Los Olivos del Sol, a spread of delicious Oaxacan food for both our volunteer group and the many community members who showed up to help out for the day.

Oh, Eduardo!

Lunch time at the worksite!

Lunch buffet: fish tacos, sopas, white rice, beans, mexican rice, mac n´cheese, hot dogs, mole chicken, fresh coconut water, salsa´s galore! And that´s just what I ate, I don´t know about everyone else! :)