Oaxaca Trek, Who We Are

¨If you have come to help me you are wasting your time.

But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine,

then let us work together.¨

-Lila Watson, Australian Aboriginal Activist

2010 Oaxaca Esperanza Volunteer Group with friends from Rio Grande

We, the first Esperanza volunteer group to team up with a community in Oaxaca, are made up of nine volunteers from Philly, Denver, and Seattle. From 18 year olds to early 40`s and from 5`4¨ to 6`9¨ we come from a variety of life experiences, joined together with the people of Rio Grande through this cultural and service immersion opportunity.

WHO WE ARE:

Aimee Khuu (Seattle, WA) and the infamous Eduardo (Tijuana, Mexico)

Our fearless Esperanza leaders for this week long trek!!

Andrew (Seattle, WA)

This allstar treaded water for TWELVE HOURS straight, prior to the trip to raise money for

Esperanza`s Oaxaca program!!!

Katrina (Seattle, WA)
A Master`s candidate in Social Work at UW, she chose to spend precious summer vacation days roadtripping from Mexico City to Rio Grande for her first Esperanza experience, sharing with us her laughter and free spirit!

Dan (Philly born and raised) with Isabel and Rosa (Rio Grande, Oaxaca)
Standing 2.03 meters tall, he is quite the ladies man here in Oaxaca. There is never a dull moment with Dan and the Rio Grande ladies around!

Erin (Seattle, WA) with Vivi (Rio Grande, Oaxaca)
Radiating kindness and curiosity (and a knack for Spanish), Erin has a way of easily engaging the Rio Grande community, particularly the pups and children. Wherever she goes, a puppy dog or child will surely be close by!

Deana (Seattle, WA)
A die-hard Esperanza trekker, this is her THIRD Esperanza trip THIS YEAR! She even missed her 27th (??) wedding anniversary to kick it with us in Oaxaca. A special THANK YOU goes out to her husband!

David (Seattle, WA)
As true as the statement on his shirt, he never ceased to bring a smile to our faces and those of the community we worked with. David was fearless in his desire to connect with both the people of Rio Grande and his fellow volunteers. ¡Me gustas tu, David!

Hana (Denver, CO)

As a Master`s candidate in International Nonprofit Management, she connected with Esperanzà to fulfill an international internship requirement with some behind the scenes volunteer work in support of the Oaxaca volunteer program.

Pete aka ¨Pedro¨ (Philly, represent!)

After years of hearing his friend Dan rave about Esperanza adventures, Pete finally had to find out for himself what this Esperanza craze was all about! We are glad you did!

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We haven`t even been here three full days and already we have been received with incredible hospitality by the local community and the Esperanza staff. The hospitality is humbling.

MEET THOSE WHO MADE THIS TRIP POSSIBLE:

Javier, Esperanza architect (Tijuana) with Don Willy (Rio Grande, Oaxaca)
Also known as ¨Arcky¨ within the Rio Grande community, Javier not only designed the houses we are helping to build, but he has also forged strong bonds through community meetings with the Rio Grande families we are working with. He is truly the face of Esperanza here in Oaxaca.

As the soon-to-be-recipient of the first Esperanza home in Oaxaca, Don Willy´s hard work and joyful spirit has been an inspiration to all of us volunteers. It is an honor to work alongside him in fulfilling a lifelong dream of adequate housing for his children and grandchildren!

Rigo, Construction Technician-Esperanza (Tijuana)

Many of you may recognize Rigo from Esperanza treks in Tijuana. His tremendous work ethic and subtle perseverance through tumultous hours of hard work is truly an inspiration!

¨Rebe¨, Admin Assistant-Esperanza

Also a familiar face from La Posada in Tijuana, Rebe`s warmth and smile helps us feel at home in this new place!

Romeo and his mini-bus (Rio Grande, Oaxaca) with Dan and David

Never before have I witnessed such patience as that of our driver, Romeo. Already he has been with us from sunrise to well after sunset, ensuring we make it to all of our engagements!

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Thanks to the hard work of both the Esperanza staff and the Rio Grande community, we have been warmly welcomed and our first three days have us feeling right at home.