Esperanza

How to create YOUR OWN Esperanza group!

2011-10-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

My name is Eric Reutter, and I would like to take a second to tell you how easy it is to form an Esperanza volunteer group. First, I should back up for a moment. I am currently the long-term volunteer in Tijuana, and I have been

When I say that

organizing an Esperanza group is easy I, of course, understand that putting together a volunteer group from the United States to spend a week in Mexico has its inherent challenges. The easy part is that there are so many tools available to those with the desire to bring a

group down.coming down as a participant/l

That is where my job starts. I am here to give the most thorough and complete information to any volunteer with even the slightest inkling of bringing their friends/colleagues/associates down to Tijuana.eader on Esperanza trips for the past 8 years. I am currently the Alumni Trips Coordinator for the Esperanza Alumni Association (EAA). If there is one passion I have in this life, besides being part of bucket lines here in Tijuana, it is for organizing Esperanza volunteer groups.

There are many people who have made such groups, and who have invaluable experiences fundraising, trip-planning, and promoting. All of these leaders have shared with me that

they would be glad to pass on any information to those who would like to form new groups. On top of all that, we have the Esperanza network of volunteers, in which we can help promote and assist the trip process.

Without going further into all the details about planning a trip, I will just say this: If you are like me and have been changed by the Esperanza experience; if you feel like I felt, that you need to share that experience with others: don’t hesitate to act on that impulse.

When I first formed a group I wondered if it would be worth it; if I would recruit enough people or be able to plan everything correctly. When I finally organized a trip and saw how i

t impacted the participants as much as it impacted me, I realized something important. No matter what the uncertainty, having someone’s life dramatically affected by an Esperanza experience is well worth the risk.

-Eric

Contact eric.reutter@esperanzaint.org

2011-10-14T19:40:00.001-07:00

Dear Esperanza Alumni,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. My name is Steven Hinderhofer and I am an Esperanza alumnus. I am currently acting as the president of the Esperanza Alumni Association (EAA). Our mission is to to build a network of Esperanza volunteers in order to continue serving the families of Mexico, generate change in our home communities, and foster an environment of global solidarity. Big missions start with small steps. They start with you. If you are reading this newsletter (thanks for doing so) that means that you are most probably an alumnus of a trip to TJ. Whether you were

a group leader, had made several trips, or finally succumb to a
friend begging you to join them, you are an alumnus, and we (Esperanza, Int.) need you. We need you to take a moment and think of your best times in Mexico. We need you to take a moment and remember a time during your stay when everything was perfect. We need you to remember that moment when you sai

d that you were "always going to be here", you were always going to make the trip. We need you to think of those moments and begin to consider how you can help from this side of the border. I was speaking with Eduardo the other night via a Skype conversation. He is working hard, friends, everyday -365 days a year, 110% and doing everything he can with what he is being given. He needs us to be working as hard here on this side of the border. So if you are interested in that kind of work, please join this committee. We aren't looking for folks to balance their life out for this cause, rather to be all in. To plan events, to

gather groups, to donate our hard earned money, to be in TJ on a yearly if not more regular basis. You are "plan A". There is no one else working and thinking like you with your experience. There is no one else organizing groups. There is no one else organizing events in the name of Esperanza. There is no one else speaking to everyone they come in contact with about how they have fallen in love with Mexico and why they need to join you. You are Esperanza Alumni, and we need you. Mexico needs you. The images of the peolpe in your head need you, right now.

Gratefully,

Steve Hinderhofer

alumni@espeanzaint.org

Kelsey Harrington in Tijuana!

2011-10-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

This past August I was blessed with the opportunity to work with Esperanza for 2 weeks. It was my seventh time working with Esperanza and my second time staying for two straight weeks. I

Tijuana. It is rejuvenating, inspiring, peaceful, and rewarding. Every time I go I learn something new about myself, about

Mexico, about Esperanza, and remember the peace that comes from a life dedicated to service, hope, and love.love Esperanza and can’t imagine going a year without spending a week or two in

Working with Esperanza for 2 weeks is a unique opportunity. I gained

a greater understanding of the communities that Esperanza serves and

how the organization itself runs. I

also got to see more organizations in Tijuana that serve people and needs that Esperanza cannot serve. I love being able to form stronger bonds and relationships with the community members. They get really excited to see you again on the Monday of the second week, “Otra semana?!?!” (Another week?!) I also gained a greater understanding of the building process of a house over the course of 2 weeks

What made this trip unique from my others was the opportunity to join two independent groups. Two friends and myself joined up with other pe

ople that we didn’t know from Washington, California, and Missouri. I was a little nervous beforehand because I had never gone with people I didn’t know, but all nerves were shattered instantly!! It was such a joy to build relationships with those I was serving with as well as with those I was serving. I got to hear new perspectives on what we were experiencing and see things differently.

It is so cool to think that we are now in our own parts of the United States, carrying the message of Esperanza with us to different neighborhoods a

nd states. We are starting little Esperanza fires all over the country. If you have never gone with an independent group, do it!! It is a new way of experiencing Esperanza and creates lasting friendships with people from around the country, who are carrying the message of Esperanza with them!

2 week trip in Tijuana!

2011-10-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

Our lives seem to become so busy that it is easy to forget what we have experienced and live our hectic lives ignoring the issues present in our neighboring country. Esperanza is a program and a community that we cannot forget. I recently spent two weeks in Tijuana, Mexico and it completely solidified the fact that I will continue to make an effort to return to the posada and support the program for many years to come. Esperanza has become so much more than a week spent working on a person’s house. The week spent working is the foundation for bridging two communities. Not only are you given the opportunity to grow within the community of those you traveled to Mexico with, you also begin building relationships with people of a completely different culture.

My two week visit consisted of a different group each week, many of whom I had never met before. Each group had a mix of different ages and different walks of life, yet we melded together well. I gained many long-lasting friendships in each group. I also became closer to those people we interacted with who make up the Esperanza program. I enjoyed listening to their stories, playing with their kids and helping to build their home which they have been waiting so long to accomplish this pivotal moment in their life. It made me feel like these people I had just met were my long lost friends.the foundation for bridging two communities. Not only are you given the opportunity to grow within the community of those you traveled to Mexico with, you also begin building relationships with people of a completely different culture.

One of the most influential parts of this trip was two social occasions that I was involved in while I was there. We went to a Xolos game (the local soccer team) and also went out one night to celebrate a birthday party. During these two events I saw the volunteers and local participants of Esperanza in an environment outside of work. I became highly aware of the fact that even with our cultural differences, we shared the same human nature in the desire to have a good time and enjoy friends. At this moment I thought of all the things I hear at home, in the United States, about the poverty in Tijuana and I realized that while there is visible financial poverty here, there is also a wealth of laughter, dancing, family and friends.

Our cultures are different, but both have something unique to offer one another. Often volunteers begin the week with a feeling of sympathy for the community members, because they are struggling to build a home with less amenities than the homes they are used to in the United States. Yet, in my experience, by the end of the week volunteers don’t leave feeling sympathetic, they leave feeling enriched and with a much greater appreciation for the important things in life; friends and family. They leave feeling as though they have been given something rather than solely giving something.

In conclusion, I have found, the more I visit a place and experience all that it has to offer, the more comfortable I become. Every time I return to Esperanza that familiarity increase, I reconnect with friends and take with me much more than I could possibly give in my time in Tijuana and with the Esperanza program.

News from Oaxaca

2011-09-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

Six months ago, when I was offered a position to coordinate the Esperanza program in Oaxaca, it just felt right to go back to the coast and work on a project I had been part of it’s inception. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Carla Pataky and I am the current coordinator of the Esperanza program in Oaxaca. In 2008 I first arrived in Rio Grande to work on project in which was targeted at empowering teachers to improve the environment through starting projects at their schools. At the

time I was not working with Esperanza but w

as familiar with the work in Tijua

na. A year later, Graciela Bueno- Esperanza’s social worker based in Tijuana joined me in a workshop with teachers in Río Grande, and it was there that the seeds of possibility for Esperanza’s growth in Oaxaca were first planted.

Two short years lat

er, I was asked to help coordinate the efforts of further developing the program in Oaxaca and I am delighted to say that Esperanza has not only been embraced by dozens of families but we now serve 5 separate communities in which are organized by their own leadership committees and community organizers who are

committed to the mission and work of Esperanza. Each community has between 10-15 families that will begin their constructions next year.
What has inspired me most about the Oaxaca people is their sense of belonging. The strong identity they carry themselves with. Beyond the hard work the families have to go through to build their homes, and all the everyday problems the group has to face during the process, the families are grateful and satisfied with their homes.
This week, ten families from Río Grande are beginning the building process and we expect to co

mplete their homes by November.We will be sure to post pictures when the homes are finished! The new staff is great team of local technicians, masons and social workers who are working side by side to make all of this happen.
We now have an office based out of Puerto Escondido and look forward to our first college and high school volunteer groups this Spring. While there may not be a large posada as we find in Tijuana- you are guaranteed a rich and fulfilling experience by working side by side new families of Oaxaca.
I thank all of you who have been involved in the development of this new and exciting program and I invite you all to join us as we continue to explore the opportunities this growth brings.

Sincerely,
Carla Pataky

2011-08-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

For a group of employees from U.S. Consulate General Tijuana, Saturday, March 5 was not a day of relaxation but rather a day spent in hard work for a good cause. Fifteen American officers and locally employed staff spent the day helping to build a home for a needy family. Along with students from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, the group mixed concrete, transported it by hand, and poured it to create a new floor for what will soon be a brand-new house in the El Niño neighborhood east of Tijuana. For some of the Consulate volunteers, it was their first time visiting the resource-poor neighborhoods to the east of the city and their first time working in hands-on construction. Vice-Consul John Callan organized the event in collaboration with Esperanza International, a Tijuana non-profit organization dedicated to building homes for low-income families. Families who participate in the Esperanza program must own their land, must bewilling to make a small payment each month, and, most importantly, must be willing to assist in the construction of other program participants’ houses. Over the past ten years, Esperanza has helped to construct over five hundred homes in the Tijuana area, but this one was special. The family in question has a teenage son who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and his doctors have said that if he is not provided with a suitable home, his quality of life will be severely diminished. For this reason, Consulate volunteers and university students shoveled sand and gravel, scooped concrete, and hauled it up the hill in plastic buckets to the construction site. “It certainly was a change from our usual office work. I’m sore in a lot of new places,” said one volunteer. “But many of us joined the State Department because we wanted to be of service to others, and projects like this give us the opportunity to serve the people of Tijuana.”

Exploring Oaxaca and Beyond

2011-03-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

Peach’s Blog on Oaxaca Trip

"Esperanza International cultivates global citizenship through international service experiences in working toward a better world."

March 28, 2011

As an intern, I have been invited to observe and research a new study abroad program option with Esperanza International in Oaxaca. To get a good introduction to the work of Esperanza and the missions of Esperanza International (EI) and Fundacion Esperanza de Mexico (FEM), I began with attending the board retreat at the Posada in Tijuana. We drove across the border in a van belonging to FEM, and I spent the weekend getting acquainted with volunteers and board members who have been coming here for years. The following are thoughts generated as I head into Mexico on this journey.

3/17-20

My last trip across the U.S.-Mexico border at Tijuana was decades ago, when people were able to cross more freely. Most significant to me now is the apparent distinct line of demarcation. Today there are two fences to cross that the U.S. Border policy has created between those who have privilege and those who are not welcome on “our side.” Friendship park was once a meeting place for both communities and it is now on the U.S. side and provides a barrier region for border patrol. San Diego is beautiful, groomed and green at the start of spring, March 20, while it is already dry where irrigation is not so common here, where water is at a premium. It is so much hillier than I remember as we drive through the city on our way to La Gloria, the suburb that is the home to Esperanza in Mexico.

I came to the retreat desiring to understand what motivates the people to participate and to learn how they understand the new mission to create opportunities for individual growth in global citizenship. I am also interested in the process of transformation that occurs as people participate in this program and plan to lead a group from Seattle University through a “reintegration” process as they digest their learning from a week with Esperanza in Tijuana. They arrived on the evening before we left and we will meet upon my return. Father Ted, from Long Island University, and board member shares his definition of transformation: “it is about the human connection across and through the experience of common humanity.”

What I understand volunteers experience here is an opportunity to meet and work alongside people they would not normally come into contact with. A positive outcome is that they are impressed by learning that we are more the same than as different as one might believe from mere appearances. In considering the value and impact of such an experience, he says it is difficult to measure the ineffable. Several others I question say that this process often happens months or years after such a profound experience, but it does inform a person’s choices.

Another group leader, Sister Colleen, from the Providence Health Systems in Los Angeles says her cohort usually creates a way of giving and marking the experience. Recently, they put together a cookbook of recipes from the communities they have served. These have become a very popular means of fundraising for future trips. Another participant and intern, Hana Truscott, was motivated by her experience with Esperanza last summer, in the pilot volunteer program. She leaves soon for Macedonia with the Peace Corps. Marcel, EI board president, shares his goal for the weekend as an effort to build strong roots in Esperanza. This is symbolically illustrated with the logo, a tree of life.

Tijuana is peaceful from all appearances. Car and truck drivers seem to defy the lines meant to create order, yet people are amazingly polite and attentive to others on the road. I wonder about all the pedestrians crossing everywhere, but none seem to get injured despite close calls. While hunting down a recently rained out dirt road, we ask for directions, laughing that we look like we are lost “gringas” who took a wrong turn at the border, we realize the irony of this, that it is not so easy for people coming from the south wanting to wander around in U.S. territory. It does not feel unsafe here, however, and long term residents confirm their confidence in the people of Tijuana. Government housing marches up the hillsides in textures and colors, lending a sense of order within chaos. I am excited to go to Oaxaca and celebrate the completion of the first 23 homes.

3/21

Oaxaca CityArriving by plane via Mexico City, we are excited to be in Oaxaca and head out for an evening adventure in the purple jacaranda tree-lined parks and cobbled streets of this colonial city. Our adventure begins with eating an exotic dinner in the center of the main market place, where we sit with the locals and watch our food being prepared. The food is fabulous—mole, a legendary sauce for meat, is made from as many as 14 ingredients and each cook has her secrets. The sauce I have with my roasted chicken tastes like a spicy semi-sweet chocolate sauce. The tamales are as big as a dinner plate and wrapped in a banana leaf before steaming. We have met up with Chris Larson, also from Seattle, who has a knack for finding humor in almost everything. He is excited to share a bag of roasted crickets with us. “Chaupalines” are also a local delicacy and I am told they are collected from the alfalfa fields in large sacks. I have never seen so many crickets and so many different sizes. Bells toll at all times of day, calling people to mass in one of the beautiful old churches.

3/22

The next day, we take a bus ride over the rough and winding roads to the coast. Puerto Escondido, or the “hidden port” is a former fishing village turned surfing town, though tourism is down due to the economy. The beaches and hotel are fairly empty, giving the impression of a sleepy town. After a long trip and late arrival, we are all tired and ready to crash that night but happy to wake and walk to the beach in order to indulge in the beautiful warm water and easy waves.

It is the beginning of our work week and we have lots of interviews planned, including one for lunch with local Rotary leaders. The Rotary clubs have been big supporters of Esperanza projects and we invite them to visit Rio Grande for the upcoming celebration and to see the “Adocreto” (Adobe+Concrete) brick maker, which was purchased in part by the Del Mar Rotary. These local club leaders are excited about the work with Esperanza and suggest a contact at the local Universidad del Mar for us to explore our idea of creating a study and service program model for students seeking meaningful travel and service experiences.

Rio Grande is approximately 45 minutes up the coast from Puerto and we are picked up for the ride by FEM Director, Josefina Pataky, and Clara Nova, the FEM social worker who organizes the communities in the region. Clara explained to us that there are now up to 100 families in some stage of the process of becoming homeowners with Esperanza. Much has been accomplished by the local families with the help of Rigo, FEM technician, since the last group was here, according to Aimee Khuu, Program Director of Esperanza International. She is so excited to see that the water has receded in the “Los Olivos del Sol” neighborhood, as well as around town, where the first group of homes are almost finished. The town is dusty at the beginning of this dry season, and masons are working to put together the brick homes made of the soil and the labor of this coastal town.

Flagging down one of dozens of moto-taxis, we are given a ride around town to locate one of the finished houses. Coincidentally, it is the home of Aimee’s friend, Jesse, a single mom who has recently returned from Mexico City to live with her relatives. She is one of many who are benefiting from the assistance of Esperanza’s community development model. Others in her neighborhood are in the second group organizing to begin the process of preparing materials for the building of their homes.

Esperanza is a perfect name for this organization as we see the hope in the eyes of the folks who look forward to having a well-built home that they helped to construct. These homes are not only good sturdy shelter but they are rumored to be cooler than the local concrete homes because of the insulating ability and are made with some aesthetic design and concern for function. Large arched windows bring in breezes and covered porches offer a place to rest and visit with neighbors. Homeowners in Los Olivos also are able to purchase extra lots for adding gardens and fruit trees.

3/23

As I meet people of the communities in Rio Grande and talk with leaders from these groups as well as FEM, I am conscious of the mission to cultivate global citizenship. Though implicit in the work that is accomplished in the crossroad between the community and volunteer work, this EI objective is unfolding in the transformational process of developing these communities. The partnership between EI and FEM has created a way of bringing together people of diverse backgrounds and creating opportunities to learn from each other. The objective is not to teach and lead from one direction, but to work together and share with one another.

As I progress in my visit, I find that there is much we need to learn about how people operate in Rio Grande. Meeting with leaders Clara Nava, Javier Pacheco and Susana Torres, Don Sergio, Dona Tina and Rigo Rodriguez; FEM staff and local community organizers, sheds much light on this subject. Beginning with Clara, the social worker, we were introduced to the regional mangrove swamp management and tourism programs. Next, I discovered the long-lost Rigo, who has been missing from Tijuana over the past nine months. The construction and home building process has been directed by construction technician Rigo, who has worked with Esperanza for the past 8 years. Throughout this past year, he’s become a member of the Oaxaca community of Rio Grande in the production of the beautiful homes we celebrated this week.

3/24-26

Former subsistence wildlife hunters and turtle fisherman have been inspired instead to preserve the precious ecosystem that supports their unique way of life. These same families are now volunteering to patrol beaches along the coast where three turtle species nest year-round. We had the delightful privilege of accompanying eight of these men one calm and star-filled evening and saw three “golfita” Tortugas searching for nesting areas. Several of the nests gathered two months ago were releasing hatchlings that we accompanied to the shoreline as well as these females as they returned to the sea. One of the commitments of these leaders is to make sure the turtles have every opportunity to be protected from predators on the ground. Only one of every one-thousand hatchlings is estimated to return to the beach from which they were born ten years earlier; a wonder of nature is that they memorize the beach in those short moments from hatching until they reach the water.

Javier and Susana are elementary school teachers, who, together with educators from 30 other schools, have initiated a unique reading and writing program. Students publish stories about the environment as a result of one year of work, developing an ear for good story-telling and learning the elements of writing style. They are encouraged to create a supportive learning environment and have placed desks and chairs outside in the school garden, where students are able to read and write while in nature. “Profe” Javier is also a successful subsistence gardener, who raises goats and chickens, propagates trees to plant around town, and has taught the pupils about recycling. He and Susana and their three daughters live in a compound with their extended family.

Don Sergio and Dona Tina are the community leaders from the first group of home-builders in Rio Grande. They also live in a family compound and have paid to build a house for their daughter and her children to live nearby. The celebration of the first completed houses was held on their property and it was an inspiring presentation. 150 guests came for a potluck celebration complete with seafood soup, chicken en mole, beef brisket, fish tacos, ceviche, fresh coconut milk, juices made from hibiscus flowers, watermelon and more. A local band entertained the group and led local dance demonstrations.

All in all, it has been a fabulous week of adventures, learning and “convivencia”. I’m looking forward to seeing the fruits of our effort to expanding the volunteer program into the Costal Region of Oaxaca. Community members are delighted and awaiting the arrival of the next volunteers to the work sites. Stay tuned--It looks like Esperanza will be introducing the language study and volunteer group opportunities for volunteers this coming summer and fall.

holy land

2011-03-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

Our first task in approaching
Another people
Another culture
Another religion
Is to take off our shoes
For the place we approach
Is holy.

Driving across the border last week into Tijuana, I felt like I was coming home. I found myself beaming with joy, honored to be able to return to a place that for me, can only be described as holy land. In the weeks leading up to my departure, I was surprised by the reactions of horror I encountered when telling otherwise well-meaning American citizens of my trip to Tijuana. Realizing the image in their mind's eye was so different from my experience, I felt compelled to share perhaps a less-known reality of this "horrific" place. The hillsides of makeshift houses made of scrap metal, plastic, tires, smashed corrugated cans, tarps, boards, cardboard, and the stench of raw sewage, that were once a shock to my system, no longer define this border town. When I think of Tijuana, I see the many families I've met who have so little, yet love so much. I see a people-to-people culture where I feel more loved, alive and beautiful than I ever have in the States. I taste the mouth-watering tacos and tortas that I crave for months between trips, made with the freshest of meats and vegetables at the nearby taqueria. I acknowledge the presence of violence, but see through the superficial security alerts that too easily become a crutch for inaction and complacency with fear-driven individuals. How easily we dismiss our neighbors.

The word "holy" simply means "set apart." Tijuana is a place set apart, a sacred space in the context of my development towards a compassionate human being and global citizen- it is where I first experienced a reality outside of my Idaho upbringing: of injustice and seemingly excruciating poverty, of a different reality co-existing on the same continent. To return to Tijuana is to remember a high schooler's transition from ignorance to awareness, symbolic of my first glimpse into a bigger world. I spent last week in meetings with Esperanza's board of directors, asking, defining and refining our mission statement. Who is Esperanza International? What does it do? How does it do it? The questions we were discerning for the organization morphed into an evaluation of my own personal mission statement. Who am I? What do I want to do with my one wild and precious life? How do I want to do it? I won't tell you my answers to these questions. But I will tell you that Tijuana is where my personal mission emerged, ever so subtlety, back in high school. I am extremely grateful for the St. Pius X Mexico Mission Trek that opened my door to this sacred place 12 years ago, and to Esperanza International who has kept the door open this past year by taking me on as their Development Intern.

The next time you hear mention of Tijuana, or the violence in Mexico, or anywhere that brings to mind horrific images for that matter, I hope you will remember that beneath the security warnings, there is a vibrant world of good, hard-working people who would show you the depth of their hospitality if you only dared to take off your shoes and walk into their world.

Paz y Esperanza, (peace and hope)
Hana Truscott
Development Intern
Hana.Truscott@esperanzaint.org

Introduction from Long-Term Volunteer: Kimberly

2011-03-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

So I realized that I never got around to introducing myself. Getting settled in and accustomed to the work has filled up much of my time, not to mention the fact that I am super self-conscious when it comes to my writing.

Sooo for those of you who haven’t met me through your group visits since mid-august… I’m Kimberly—Kimber for short. I grew up in Rhode Island and went to university at C. W. Post Long Island University. I recently graduated in May of 2010 with a degree in Social Work. My first experience with Esperanza was through the campus ministry at Post. I joined the trip not knowing a single person and not knowing at all what to expect. After an amazing week, I decided to continue working with the campus ministry and Esperanza by joining the trip each year. Every year after, the trip offered something different and I kept coming back.

I joined the Esperanza team down here in Tijuana as a long term volunteer this past August. I plan on being here until August of this year. So much has been done and I've learned even more about Esperanza with my time here. After I finish volunteering with Esperanza I will be attending grad school at Tulane University. I will be earning my MSW (Masters in Social Work) with a specialization in International Social Work. I can't stress enough the positive influence Esperanza has had on my life choices. I'm just so grateful to have this opportunity to volunteer long term.

I’d like to thank all the groups I’ve gotten to know since I’ve been down here. Here’s to you making this experience one of a kind –

Cline Family, FCC Bellingham, St. Louise, Bethel Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran, Team Hope, Providence Health System, Neighborhood UUC, Friends of Providence, Seattle U Campus Ministry, Long Island University, and the Bethany/Henderson Group! I don't want to forget my mom and friend Cindy who came down this past week! Thank you for experiencing something that holds a grand place in my heart.

I’m currently working on putting up some pictures of the progress we’ve made since August! Stay tuned!

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News from our Current Long Term volunteer- Eric Reutter

2011-03-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

My name is Eric Reutter and I would like to take a second to introduce myself to the Esperanza community.

I am currently the newest long term volunteer for Esperanza International. I arrived in Tijuana in mid-February, and will be staying here until at least August. I participated in about a dozen week-long trips with my youth group and independent groups before I became a long term volunteer. I have a B.A. in Literature from the University of Washington and I hope to go back to school after a few years of travel to become either a teacher or a lawyer.

The reasons I have decided to become a long-term volunteer are numerous. In my previous trips to Esperanza I, like many other people, took part in an experience that significantly altered my world-view. These trips really underscored in my mind the fact that the people of Mexico are more similar to the people of the United States than I had ever imagined, and that the American dream was not something confined to the borders of one country. These trips also made it clear to me that there is a significant need to reduce the fear of our Southern neighbors created by disinformation and the incomplete picture of Mexico painted by mass media. I grew to feel that the program with Esperanza accomplished this task in one of the most effective ways possible, by having Americans and Mexicans work hand-in-hand to achieve a shared value: the dream of a brighter future.

My greatest hope for my time here is that I will be able to help Esperanza continue its mission to combat the “us and them” mentality between the United States and Mexico. This, along with the tangible construction of durable and climate-appropriate housing, are what I believe Esperanza does best. The American author Susan Sontag wrote that, “It is hard for people not to see the world in polarizing terms ("them" and us") and these terms have in the past strengthened the isolationist theme [in America]”. I believe that the Esperanza community formed between groups from the United States and the people of Mexico is one of the most powerful depolarizing forces available to us. In the end, I believe that the Esperanza program helps the people of Mexico as well as the people of the United States. From what I have seen firsthand and what I have heard from families in Mexico, I am sure that Esperanza is working toward a greater good in one of the most effective and powerful ways possible. I have already had my first opportunity to work with a group from the United States and it was a great experience for me. I look forward to working with all the future groups that will be coming down this spring and summer. If you are reading this and have not yet had the opportunity to spend a week with a volunteer group or to get involved with Esperanza, I strongly encourage you to do so.

A note from Esperanza's first long term volunteer- Julie Kline

2011-02-28T09:17:00.000-08:00

My first trip to Tijuana working for Esperanza was in 1992. I was 15 and it was the first time St. John Vianney partnered with Esperanza. We built Alma's house. Her husband was a baker and was very ill. Alma supported her family running the bakery and kept everyone together like a true matriarch. Alma's house was at the bottom of an extremely steep hill and the cement mixing equipment stayed at the top of the hill. Temperatures were extreme as well, especially for a crew from the Northwest. It was a very tough couple of weeks, but what we quickly realized was that the difficulties we were having were just a small taste of what Alma's family faced every day. A 12 year-old girl that lived across the dirt road from Alma befriended me. Her name was Patty and she came out and worked and (tried) speaking with us every day that we were there. We shared our work gloves and cold cokes.

The next year we went back and worked in the same neighborhood, building another house and working on a community center. Patty came out and worked and horsed around with us as much as she could. The weather was cooler and the workload easier, but the families we were helping were just as amazing.

Patty and I remained friends over the years, writing letters and sending cards. When my friend's and I graduated high school we decided we still wanted to work with Esperanza so we started the St. John's college-aged mission trek. We actually stayed with Alma and Patty's families in "our" neighborhood- even though Esperanza was building in other areas of Tijuana that summer. The hospitality we were shown remains unrivaled to this day.

In total I have made around 15 trips to Tijuana to work with Esperanza and even spent a few months my Senior year in college working for Esperanza full time as a student intern. Every family I've worked with was as amazing as the last, striving to give their children a better life than they had with love and humor. I remember being told by a gal that worked for Esperanza years ago that she also considered herself "an American" as Mexico is after all a major part of the North American continent. We joked around about her statement, but when I paused I realized that it was not only technically true, but true in spirit as well. What we in the United States like to think of as "The American Dream" - to work as hard as you can, to make a better life for your family, to give them opportunities that you didn't have, and to encourage them to make the most of those opportunities- it doesn't stop at the U.S. border. Esperanza helps these hardworking families realize their dreams.

I've seen Esperanza evolve over the years, always remaining relevant and staying true to its core value: helping people to help themselves. I've seen incredible staff members come and go, I've learned everything from the intricacies of Mexican politics to where to find the best tacos de birra from these amazing people. Esperanza has played a major role in the formation of my views on global politics.

Patty went to culinary school, I went to law school. I fancy myself a hot-shot lawyer and I know for a fact she's a hot-shot chef. We write emails and make facebook posts now instead of sending letters and cards- a sign of the times. Esperanza continues to better the lives of both the families it helps and the people who volunteer to work with them. I could go on and on about my experiences with Esperanza and the things I've learned, but my advice is to go and see for yourself.

Safety and Security

2010-12-20T01:39:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

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

2010-09-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

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! :)

Oaxaca Trek, Day 4

2010-08-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

LOS OLIVOS DEL SOL

CONSTRUCTION OF THE 1st ESPERANZA HOME!

Friday, August 20th

A generous, gentle and grateful man; his face says it all.

Don Willy is the soon-to-be recipient of the first Esperanza home here in Oaxaca. His community chose him to be the first, knowing how deserving he is. For a man in his seventies, Don Willy’s energy and work ethic is awe-inspiring. He lost his wife two years ago to a drawn-out illness and now rents a small house for himself, his daughter and his two grandkids. To pay each month’s rent and provide for his family, Willy has worked as an ice cream vendor at a high school from 9am-3pm Monday – Friday for the past 15 years. Each morning he walks to the town center where his ice cream cart is parked and pushes the cart along a bumpy dirt road about a mile to the school.

Willy sharing with us his ice cream and his story.

Though my encounters with Don Willy have been brief, he is never without a huge smile and a humble heart. As the recipient of an Esperanza house, it is expected that at least one member of Willy’s family is at the worksite helping to make blocks and construct the home. When our group arrived at the worksite today, not only did we meet Don Willy, but also his daughter and her two children, who will be sharing this new home with him. Even the youngest grandchild, no more than 2 years old, helped in construction of the foundation, carrying rocks no bigger than his little fist to his Grandpa, who received the help ever so patiently and placed the rocks in the foundation trenches with the most delightful smile.

Construction begins for Don Willy`s home!

Don Willy`s daughter and grandson.

Both the grandsons at the worksite.

Carrying rocks to be used in the foundation.

Building a foundation. Together.

Not only did Don Willy`s family show up for construction of his home today, but so did more than 30 members of Esperanza`s four Oaxaca community groups: Los Olivos del Sol, Cacalote, El Venado, and Rio Grande. Each community group is at different stages of preparation for the construction of their Esperanza homes. All have purchased land to build on, and many are in the process of saving money for construction, which will begin in January or February 2011. The Rio Grande community is in the process of making 2400 Ado-blocks for each home to be built in their community, as you saw in day 1 and 2 of the blog. The Los Olivos del Sol community, of which Willy is a member, has begun construction on the homes! Today we helped to dig the foundation trenches of a man named Maoru`s home, as well as pouring the floor of Willy`s house!

Willy preparing the floor for the concrete pour.

Katrina with members of the Los Olivos del Sol community: Rosa and her children

Members of the Cacalote community showed up to help in construction of Willy`s home.

Members of the Los Olivos del Sol community begin a bucket line in preparation for making the concrete floor of Willy`s home.

Deana and the Cacalote community get in on the bucket line.

David, Andrew and Dan.

Even Willy gets in on the bucket line.

Eduardo passing concrete to Deana and Dan.

Erin preparing sand for the cement mixer.

Pete getting the buckets of rocks ready.

Dan loading the cement mixer.

Eduardo mixing the cement.

David loading the final product.

Manuel, Los Olivos del Sol member and soon-to-be-Esperanza house recipient, pouring the floor.

The hired mason attending to the finishing touches.

Happiness IS.

Don Willy and his NEW floor!

*****

Oaxaca Trek, Day 3

2010-08-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

¨The miracle is not to fly through the air or to walk on water, but to walk on the earth.¨ -Thich Nhat Hahn

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19th

We haven´t even been here three full days and already we have been received with incredible hospitality by the local community. A Catholic parish granted us the use of their ¨Casa Parroquial¨ or Parish House, which consists of a 2nd-story open-air, thatched palapa hut where we have pitched tents for the week and taken in the immaculate view from the church bell-tower.

High up in the church belltower.

Andrew, Pete, Katrina and Erin setting up our tents for the week.

Andrew and our tent city.

Erin. Pete. David. Kickin back on the roof after a loooong day.

Views of Rio Grande.

Eduardo taking in the view of Rio Grande.

Hana. Katrina. Erin.

******

One family in particular has opened both their home and their lives to us. Javier aka ¨El Profe¨ and his wife Susi are a remarkable couple, both professors here in Rio Grande and active in promoting eco-consciousness. Their house itself is worthy of an eco-tour... mango, papaya, coconut, lime and various fruit trees I have never seen before provide food and shade in both the front and back yards. For El Profe, anytime is a good time to machete-open a coconut for visitors and family...

¨El Profe¨Javier

His wife, Susi!

While our group was enjoying the coconuts that El Profe and Susi had prepared for us this afternoon, their niece brought over a 2-day old baby goat. Their family´s property next door is an urban farm, home to goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, geese, pigs, parrots and the usual dogs and cats.

Hana with 2-day old baby goat.

Deana drinking fresh coconut water.

*****

El Profe Javier is the Director of a primary school here in Rio Grande and his care for the environment was evident as we toured the school. All over campus there are sets of waste bins labeled ¨Organic¨and ¨Inorganic.¨ For all inorganic waste, there is a very small dumpster sitting next to a rather large compost pile where all the organic waste goes. At the time we saw the dumpster, it was full, but from last SCHOOL YEAR´s worth of waste. Not much inorganic waste at all. Students are not allowed to bring disposable waste to school, for example chip bags or plastic bottles.

El Profe´s school.

As a daily reminder of the importance of caring for the earth, students painted a mural on one wall of the campus. It is symbolic in that the future of the earth is in our hands.

The following message is painted on the wall next to the mural:

¨DO YOU THINK IT´S IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT?

The kids are the future of the world. This is the reason why we have to educate them with values of conserving the natural environment; this is the only way that life on our planet can be sustained.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILD´S WORLD, BUT DON´T JUST THINK ABOUT IT AND REFLECT ON IT...MAKE IT HAPPEN ALREADY!¨

One way that the community of Rio Grande is ¨making it happen already¨is through a weekly day of community service. Both students and adults alike take one day out of the week to do a form of community service. Doctors may volunteer their medical services, while El Profe´s students may clean up trash at a nearby hiking trail. Several weeks ago, over 300 parents showed up at El Profe´s school as a day of service to paint and prepare the premises for the new school year. This weekly community service day is a cultural tradition that both lowers overall taxes for the community as well as reflects the spirit of community collaboration that is so prevalent here in Rio Grande.

Oaxaca Trek, Who We Are

2010-08-27T10:38:00.001-07:00

¨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!

*****************

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!

**************

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.

Oaxaca Trek, Days 1 and 2

2010-08-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

ADO-BLOCK PRODUCTION

Tuesday Aug 17th and Wednesday Aug 18th, 2010

Introducing Guest Blogger, David Chen.

Youngest member of the 1st ever Esperanza volunteer group

in Oaxaca, Mexico this past week, August 16-24, 2010!

¨Today we arose bright n’ early for our second day of work en la comunidad de Rio Grande. Choosing to rebel against global influences, Rio Grande does not participate in day light savings. Therefore, we got to the worksite just after seven; Aimee was worried that our lack of punctuality would make a bad impression on the people of the community, who pay small fines for being late, however, all seemed to be fine. Reflecting on the past two days, it does not seem like we have been in Rio Grande for just two days. It seems much longer. Perhaps this is because of the connections made, or because of how much we accomplished, or maybe just because it was a very long day. Whatever is the case, here is an overview of the worksite.

Everything is centered on feeding the block-making machine, ¨la maquina.¨ The three ingredients it eats are mud, sand, and cement mix. The mud is the most laborious ingredient to harvest. It is chopped from the mounds, hand-sifted through a makeshift-iron-window-cover-like device, dug out from underneath and dumped onto the sand.

¨La Luz de Jesus¨ y ¨El Corazon del Virgin Maria¨
These sisters, named Light of Jesus and Heart of Mary, helped in the sifting of mud.

Erin and Santos sifting the mud, ¨el barro¨

Angel dumping the sifted mud onto the pile of sifted sand.

The rest of the ingredients are relatively simple. The sand is dumped near ¨la maquina¨ from a truck, and is easily wheel-barrowed after sifting the rocks out,

and the cement is usually carried by Eduardo (anyone who has been to Tijuana knows Eduardo) to the place where all is mixed.

Eduardo and Juan hauling cement bags.

Aimee dumping cement and cal (lyme) on the pile.

The mixing process is to shovel each mound, montun, into a new mound, and then, into a new mound.

Edgar, Andrew, David and Katrina on mound patrol, while Pete supervises!

And after shoveling into one more mound, it is ready to be fed to the machine.

David feeding ¨La Maquina¨

The machine then intakes its food through the equivalence of its esophagus and compresses the meal in its belly. It is then burped up in the form of a perfect block for construction. And here is why everything is centered on this final step. The machine produces one block at a time, about half a minute per block. Not counting problems with the machine itself, if any one step of harvesting mud goes awry, the process of making the blocks is threatened. Without a constant supply of fully-mixed mix the machine cannot eat, and no blocks are produced.

Keda carrying the final product to a location to dry.

It takes 2,400 blocks to make a home. The goal is to make 1,000 blocks/day. We made 1,200 blocks each day we were there!

The other main component of our day is visiting and learning about each other. This component includes lunch, and with the famous Southern Hospitality, the Esperanza families in Rio Grande made sure we were well taken care of. Day One they served steak, carne asada, beans, frijoles, tortillas, tortillas, salsa, salsa, more salsa, mas salsa, and cactus salad, made with a certain type of cactus and things like tomatoes and onions. There was a juice made from local fruit that one can only compare to what they could hope might be served in heaven. There was also starfruit. Day Two, the main course were flautas, an incredibly delicious fried tortilla filled with potatoes and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and crema (what sour cream would be without the sour). This was accompanied by horchata, a drink made from milk, rice, and cinnamon… And perhaps a little bit of sugar.

Community member making fresh tortillas for us at the work site!

Besides the food, another reason some of us may have been interested in Esperanza is for the human connection. We have all had different experiences as we all worked in different areas. And perhaps rather than explaining the way we appreciate certain individuals that we have had the opportunity to speak with, it is better to leave it to the imagination. However, it is clear that the people, at least those we have met, have lived incredible and profound lives, and are well deserving of every ounce of respect and appreciation that we can give.¨ -David Chen

Aimee and Keda = Friendships formed.

Esperanza bloggers unite!

2010-08-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

More and more Esperanza volunteer groups that have been using blogs to share their experiences with loved ones and strangers alike. Check out some of the group blogs here:

St. Louise Youth Ministry: http://tijuanatrek2010.blogspot.com/
Free Agents of Hope: http://freeagentsofhope.blogspot.com/
C.W. Post Builders of Hope: http://hopebuilding.blogspot.com/

Feel free to contact us for assistance in setting one up!

Group Leader- Marty Mellett

2010-07-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

Before too much time passes, I wanted to share some thoughts and reflections from our experience working with Esperanza in Tijuana last week. I have been a group leader for about 5 years and have been organizing a group of between 15-20 adults/teens to travel to Tijuana to work with Esperanza. I am not affiliated with a church or civic institution. I have been organizing these trips to give my sons and their friends/colleagues an experience of living and volunteering briefly in another country – particularly our southern neighbor – Mexico. After participating in 2 trips each for my older sons, they have “graduated” to other adventures. My oldest, Luke, was very much inspired by the work of Esperanza. Following his two week long service trips with Esperanza, he did a summer experience in Nicaragua and a year ago, he spent a year working as a volunteer with a human rights organization in Chiapas, Mexico. This summer he is doing an internship with migrant farmworkers in North Carolina and he heads to Bolivia for a fall semester abroad. While my other son has not returned to Latin America, he has carried with him a deep sensitivity for immigrants and others left out by the mainstream.

This year I had the opportunity to travel to Tijuana with my youngest son, Ben, and 12 of his friends and colleagues. I also had the support of 4 great adults who made the trip possible. While these trips are always good for my soul, it is especially gratifying to watch as these young men and women freely throw themselves into the experience. They worked hard digging and carrying blocks, doing the bucket brigade, and mixing cement. They also worked and played side by side with the Mexican family and their neighbors over the course of the week. We talked about important things like the cost of living, immigration to the United States, when the colonia would get paved roads. We also sang songs with the family’s little girls, danced in the bucket brigade and discussed the all important World Cup.

Apart from the work day, our group had an opportunity to visit the health clinic, the border fence, and to share a meal with recently deported men as the Casa de Migrantes. And we had a chance to reflect on what the US immigration policy does to families when breadwinners are deported. We did not come up with solutions – but our teens are much more aware of the challenges facing immigrants in our country and I know they will be more engaged in the debate over immigration reform that hopefully, will soon take place.

All in all, the experience was fun, challenging and hope-filled. My son and his friends have already asked if they can come back next summer and bring more friends with them. For me, that is the best evidence that the experience was moving.

I wanted to share some thoughts about the topic of risk. Each of us has a different risk tolerance when it comes to stretching beyond our comfort zones or when we move into areas that may present safety and security issues. Myself and many of the kids and adults in my group have lived and worked in the DC area for many years. We take the Metro and we bike and walk on streets and in neighborhoods that sometimes experience different types of violence. Unfortunately, shootings and drugs are part of the life of our city and our neighborhoods. We learn to be street smart and we learn how to minimize risk. But we have chosen not to move to far out suburbs with large houses and supposedly safe school buildings. I believe that risk comes not only in the form of violence and physical danger. Risk can also come in the form of living within an overly protected environment where we never meet those who are poor and struggling, or those who speak another language, or those who live in different cultures. This is the risk of ignorance and sometimes, prejudice. It limits our ability to form relationships across various boundaries of class and race and nationality.

Within the context of the above reflection on risk, I wanted to share what happened last Friday on our way home from the work site. We were about 2 blocks from the posada when our bus was turned around by a police tape and a number of police cars. I got out of the bus and walked over to the police line and asked what was going on. I was told that several people were shot and killed. I learned the next morning reading the newspaper that 3 young men were killed with a 9 mm pistol. We don’t know yet if the shootings are a result of a domestic dispute or a land dispute or drug related violence. While I am saddened by the violence and the lack of respect for human life that can result in unnecessary deaths, I did not feel unsafe at the posada or with the Esperanza team. I feel the staff are attuned to what is happening in La Gloria as well as the various colonias in which we work. The posada is almost too safe – it is an enclosed community with gates and walls. I also trust that the Esperanza staff will look at this particular experience of violence close to the posada and determine whether additional security measures are warranted. I believe there is a difference between an active gang war where there is an increased possibility of violence reaching into the lives of the Esperanza volunteers and an isolated incident. If this is an isolated incident, I am not sure what additional security measures would look like. I do believe that if a permanent decision is made to remain isolated within the four walls of the posada with the exception of traveling to and from the work site, the experience of being in La Gloria would be severely limited. On many nights after work, our teens walk down to the pasteleria and the ice cream shop to talk with the workers and the residents, to taste Mexican food, to experience a regular neighborhood. This is an invaluable part of the Esperanza experience and I would be disappointed if an isolated incidence of violence permanently closed this part of the experience.

I have already talked my son who wants to return to Tijuana and Esperanza next year. One of older teens who will be attending college is planning on introducing Esperanza to her Catholic youth group with the hopes of sponsoring a trip next spring or summer. These trips are life changing to many teens and young adults and I am grateful for the many hands who make it possible – and I hope it will continue.

Reflection from Steve Hinderhofer

2010-07-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

I remember Father Ted asking me to join the Newman Club for a mission trip to Mexico. He asked several times actually, and for many semesters and years in college I turned him down.

"College Life" always seemed to get in the way. Whether it was the baseball season or a girlfriend or laziness, they just seemed to take precedence in my life and inhibited me from being there. Father Ted was persistent to say the least, and he knew better God's plan for my life and the direction in which He needed me to travel.

I have again returned from Tijuana, Mexico, after another life liberating week of service and fellowship through the Esperanza program. I regret not being there in those early years in college. It isn't a regret that takes over my life and effects the future, but one that keeps me hungry to keep after those that haven't been their to join a group and come with us in the future, no matter what "Life" is getting in the way. It is a small regret that keeps me fighting on this side of the border, hanging Mexican flags and displaying pictures of our trips in my classroom at school. It is a small regret that helps me to get through one minute showers here in Iowa during the frigid winters, even when turning the water on would feel much better. But mostly I do these things not out of regret, but prominently for my simple, yet passionate love for Mexico.

Mexico is the first place where I truly felt the Spirit of God in my heart. God was finally able to break through these tough scales and remove the blinds from my eyes. My life has never been the same. Mexico is where I asked my wife Mary to marry me. Mexico, Tijuana, the Posada and surrounding community is the place I love the most in this world and Mary is the person I love the most in the world. The setting appeared to be very obvious to me. I remember how proud and joyful the folks at the work site were to know that I decided to ask Mary in their country, as opposed to anywhere else in the world. Mary said "yes", and we received a wedding gift from Catalina, whose house we were working on that week. We hugged Catalina and cried and shared a wonderfully intimate moment...I have trouble not crying even as I write, but why hold it in, what a wonderful moment. Finally, Mexico is where some of my closest friends live and work daily. This closeness led my wife and I to name our son, Thomas Zavala Hinderhofer, after our good friend Eduardo. Thomas is nine months old now. I thought we would probably wait until he was at least a year old before we practice putting away his toys in a bucket-line like formation between himself, Mary and I. I hope one day that he will be able to find something in his life that he is crazy passionate about to pursue.

I don't like returning from Mexico. I always cry on the last day during the reflection circle. Sometimes to the point where I can't speak. Two years ago we just hugged, and sobbed, and it was more than words could ever describe. Leaving there is always tough, and I feel as though part of me has been taken away, has gone missing, is lost. We have been home for about two weeks now, and I still awake slowly in the morning, hoping to wake up on a squeaky bunk-bed, body soar, hands calloused, hungry for more...I miss you so much...

I encourage you to continue your fight for what you love and what you hold dear about Esperanza. We all have so many stories and memories about why we continue to travel to the wonderful community. Whether it be the Esperanza Clinic or the girls orphanage, perhaps the families or the workers who give their lives each day. Continue to move, to press on, to make a difference where you most feel led. May God Bless you all and the seeds that you sew. May He make your paths straight, showering your lives with peace. May He give you the courage to step out and step forward towards His people with a love that is unstoppable.

My best to you, safe travels.

Steve Hinderhofer

World Environment Day

2010-06-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

Oli, Nico, Frances, Maru, Mari, Lupita, Graciela, and Monica went to a beautiful park in Tecate to partake in the festnsivities for the Dia Mundial del Medio Ambiente (World Environment Day).

There was a stage set up where various groups performed all day. Many different types of environmental organizations were present - handing out information and doing activities with the kids. Our wonderful women from Lazaro Cardenas and La Morita sold their chip-bag purses and taught people how to make them.

We also had a team of 4 that participated in a scavenger hunt - we won cute little cactuses for coming in 4th place! Check them out the next time you come to the Posada :)

Performance from a local tribal group

Oli, Maru, and Frances making and selling bags

Trying to figure out the clue in the scavenger hunt

Michael Jackson performance

Esperanza 20th Anniversary Celebration -20 Years of Hope-

2010-06-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

Saludos to all of you Esperanza supporters out there; both the seasoned professionals and those newbies that are just beginning to become Esperanza addicts! This is Claire (long term volunteer) and Angela (group leader) hoping to give you a little taste of what we experienced at the Esperanza 20th Anniversary Celebration.

To celebrate the 20 years of community development and home building the Esperanza team, communities members, and volunteers from the U.S. put together a fabulous evening of recognition, celebration and dreams for the future. In preparation for the big event the Esperanza community members came together to paint a beautiful mural and decorate the posada with pictures from the worksites and communities. We and the other volunteers present added to the native plants garden and helped repair its brick walkways. We also added gravel to enhance the landscape for the occasion.

Five families from each of the Esperanza communities were invited to join the festivities as well as group leaders and previous long term volunteers from the U.S.. During the celebration, Esperanza International and Fundacion Esperanza de Mexico board members were recognized for their continual support of the program as well as groups leaders, long term volunteers, and the Esperanza team members. Esperanza Director Josefina Pataky-Duran was recognized for her continuous hard work with a special video tribute from the Esperanza team, community members and long term volunteers. It was quite an emotional experience and wonderful for her to hear how much her work is appreciated by all!

Previous Esperanza team member Sergio, his wife Lourdes, and two community members from the Sta. Margarita community (Berta and Teresa) prepared the delicious meal that was served at the celebration (we were lucky enough to help Sergio cut the pig skins for the home-cooked chicharones!). After the recognitions there was dinner, dancing, a bouncy castle for the kids and a mechanical bull which got the best of everyone, even el Toro (Eduardo). All in all the day couldn't have been a better representation of the true community spirit that the Esperanza communities and group members experience during their time together.

We sincerely wish that all of you could have been with us in Tijuana as it was truly an honor to have been present. It was wonderful to be part of putting together such an amazing event and to celebrate the 20 years that Esperanza has making life changing experiences possible for everyone involved with it's mission. A big thank you to all of you for your continued support of the ogranization that has stolen our hearts. Here's to another 20 years with Esperanza!

On to Oaxaca!

2010-06-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

"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."
-Lilla Watson, Australian Aboriginal Activist

The first time I crossed the border from San Diego into Tijuana, I was sick to my stomach in shock. I remember peering out the van windows as we sped along to our volunteer destination, eyes wide in wonder. I don’t know what was racing faster, my heart or my mind. The economic realities were unlike anything I had ever experienced, and to a high-schooler growing up in middle-class America, the poverty was horrific. I found myself in Mexico, out of the United States for the first time, thinking I had come to help poor people. Ten years later, I realize it was the Mexican families in Tijuana who did more for me than I ever did for them. This August, I will return to Mexico to open the next chapter of my service-immersion commitment; instead of volunteering in Tijuana, I will be working in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca as a program intern for Esperanza’s invigorating new service-immersion opportunity, working alongside Rio Grande residents and delving into their wisdom and stories, steeped in cultural tradition. I hope you will join me!

I have experienced more love and generosity from strangers in a week’s time in Tijuana, than I have in a lifetime in the United States. By the end of my first week in Tijuana, I felt alive in a way that I had never experienced before. Growing up, I never thought I would be one to travel, but since that first volunteer trip, I have fallen in love with cultural immersion; of both losing and finding myself in the world experiences of others. The families of Tijuana planted in me the seed of cultural sensitivity. They opened me up to a world much larger and brighter and invigorating than my homogeneous hometown. During a second trip to Tijuana with Esperanza, women shared their experiences of working in the maquiladoras, the corporation-owned factories that draw many people to Tijuana in search of work. My image of the “poor people” was replaced with names and faces and stories, giving context to the economic realities I had been so shocked by. While differences in economic realities still exist, that is no longer the lens with which I engage the world. It’s about people; relationships; sharing stories; and breaking bread together. Crossing the border from San Diego into Tijuana this past weekend for Esperanza’s 20th anniversary celebration, I found myself arriving home.

It is from this context that I’m ready to engage in Esperanza work at an even deeper level. No longer do I arrive in expectations of helping poor people; I go because I’ve realized that my personal liberation is bound up with theirs. There is a community of families in the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico, who have extended an invitation for Esperanza volunteers to work together with their community. To build homes; to laugh and share stories; to learn of their strong indigenous movement; their eco-consciousness; their preservation of tradition in the face of adversity. There is much for me to learn from the people of Oaxaca. The town of Rio Grande where we will be working is rich in natural resources and steeped in cultural tradition. Esperanza has created a fortifying service-immersion opportunity, to work alongside Rio Grande residents and to delve into their wisdom and stories. I cannot wait!

Hana Truscott in Oaxaca!

2010-06-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

The first time I crossed the border from San Diego into Tijuana, I was sick to my stomach in shock. I remember peering out the van windows as we sped along to our volunteer destination, eyes wide in wonder. I don’t know what was racing faster, my heart or my mind. The economic realities were unlike anything I had ever experienced, and to a high-schooler growing up in middle-class America, the poverty was horrific. I found myself in Mexico, out of the United States for the first time, thinking I had come to help poor people. Ten years later, I realize it was the Mexican families in Tijuana who did more for me than I ever did for them. This August, I will return to Mexico to open the next chapter of my service-immersion commitment; instead of volunteering in Tijuana, I will be working in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca as a program intern for Esperanza’s invigorating new service-immersion opportunity, working alongside Rio Grande residents and delving into their wisdom and stories, steeped in cultural tradition. I hope you will join me!

I have experienced more love and generosity from strangers in a week’s time in Tijuana, than I have in a lifetime in the United States. By the end of my first week in Tijuana, I felt alive in a way that I had never experienced before. Growing up, I never thought I would be one to travel, but since that first volunteer trip, I have fallen in love with cultural immersion; of both losing and finding myself in the world experiences of others. The families of Tijuana planted in me the seed of cultural sensitivity. They opened me up to a world much larger and brighter and invigorating than my homogenous hometown. During a second trip to Tijuana with Esperanza, women shared their experiences of working in the maquiladoras, the corporation-owned factories that draw many people to Tijuana in search of work. My image of the “poor people” was replaced with names and faces and stories, giving context to the economic realities I had been so shocked by. While differences in economic realities still exist, that is no longer the lens with which I engage the world. It’s about people; relationships; sharing stories; and breaking bread together. Crossing the border from San Diego into Tijuana this past weekend for Esperanza’s 20th anniversary celebration, I found myself arriving home.

It is from this context that I’m ready to engage in Esperanza work at an even deeper level. No longer do I arrive in expectations of helping poor people; I go because I’ve realized that my personal liberation is bound up with theirs. There is a community of families in the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico, who have extended an invitation for Esperanza volunteers to work together with their community. To build homes; to laugh and share stories; to learn of their strong indigenous movement; their eco-consciousness; their preservation of tradition in the face of adversity. There is much for me to learn from the people of Oaxaca. The town of Rio Grande where we will be working is rich in natural resources and steeped in cultural tradition. Esperanza has created a fortifying service-immersion opportunity, to work alongside Rio Grande residents and to delve into their wisdom and stories. I cannot wait!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132132086801136

Contact:

Esperanzint@gmail.com

A Tale of Two Esperanzas

2010-05-30T23:45:00.000-07:00

While often placed under the same “Esperanza” umbrella, Esperanza International (EI) and Fundación Esperanza de México (FEM), are two distinct organizations. There is often confusion about how these two “Esperanzas” are different and about how they interact. This topic is particularly relevant because current challenges are forcing a reevaluation of each organization and of their relationship with one another. I was fortunate enough to participate in a recent meeting of the Board of Directors for Esperanza International where the board was discussing that most fundamental cornerstone of any organization: the mission. What is it that EI does? How has this changed from previous roles? What should be EI’s relationship with FEM?

Before I elaborate on their discussion, let me provide some context. In order to determine where we are (and where we are going), we must start with where we came from. EI began in 1984 under the vision of three parishioners from the St. James Mission Circle Catholic community in Solana Beach, California (CA) United States of America (USA) who had previously volunteered to bring clothing and other materials from their community to donate to resource-poor communities in nearby Tijuana, Baja California (BC) México. Realizing that this donor-receiver model did not truly foster sustainable community development, they envisioned a relationship that would promote deeper improvements in the communities of Tijuana. In 1985, EI was formally established as a 501c3 organization in the USA dedicated to empowering the poor to help themselves by bridging existing needs with available resources.

This liberationist vision was carried out through the construction of homes for families in Tijuana, among other programs. As the home construction activities grew, in 1990 FEM, A.C. (“civil association”) was founded in México with the purpose of managing the construction and community organization activities on the Mexican side of the México-USA border. Meanwhile, on the USA side, EI continued to procure resources for the construction operations. In 1992, with the development of a patented construction technique that required fewer skilled workers, unskilled volunteer labor was more easily incorporated into the process. Volunteer groups organized by EI quickly increased in number and in 1999, “La Posada Esperanza” opened its doors to volunteers so that they might have a more permanent physical home during their stay in Tijuana. In addition to housing volunteers, La Posada hosts the FEM staff offices, the groundskeeper's home, the long-term volunteer apartment, a community center, a native plant garden (unique in Tijuana), and periodic events. Since these beginnings, thousands of volunteers have had the “Esperanza experience” and many continue to return year after year from diverse parts of the USA and of the world.

Image from construction of La Posada (February 1999).

The recent celebration of FEM’s 20th Anniversary was a time of reflection for the two Esperanzas. Despite the global economic downturn and a decreased number of volunteers, FEM built more homes last year than ever before, recently broke ground on a new intentional community of Esperanza-built homes, and is in the process of expanding their operations to the state of Oaxaca, México. On the US side of the border, EI has overcome significant challenges as well. Warnings of a swine flu epidemic, increased media coverage of drug cartel-related violence at the border, and a national economic recession, there was a predictable drop in the number of Esperanza volunteers. Yet despite these obstacles, EI successfully recruited new volunteer groups to join “Familia Esperanza” and is now ahead of where we were last year regarding the number of volunteer participants.

Time and time again, both FEM and EI have been able to transform a potentially precarious situation into growth possibility. This brings us to the Board meeting on a Friday evening at La Posada, in “la sala chica” (“the small room”). That evening, many sentiments were expressed about the current state of EI and its relationship with FEM. I heard questions like…

“How can we strengthen our volunteer base to better resist the latest media coverage of border violence?”
“How can we best support FEM’s growth to Oaxaca?”
“Why can’t we find more sources of funding?”

These questions, among others, stirred emotions of doubt, division, and frustration. It was impressive, however, when this conversation moved from “history” to “opportunity.” Realizing that these issues centered on a clear definition of EI’s mission and specific objectives, the board began an energetic discussion that would last late into that Friday night and on to the next morning. To start us off, one by one, the board members and other invited guests shared their personal perspectives on the mission of EI as it related to the mission of “Esperanza” as a whole:

“Investing in people.”
“At this point, EI acts like a travel agency for FEM volunteers.”
“Empowering individuals to have transformative experiences like the one I had.”
“Volunteers continue to participate because of (1) the transformative experience and (2) the FEM staff.”

Somehow, the original 1985 mission of “empowering the poor to help themselves by bridging existing needs with available resources” no longer seemed appropriate. In fact, it was FEM’s specific mission “to promote the development of low-resource communities interested in elevating their quality of life through self-construction projects.” FEM was now the expert in liberating “the poor” on the ground in Tijuana and EI’s role had shifted towards cultivating the volunteer groups. The Board worked late into the night, wrestling with the fundamental question of “Who are we?” The next morning, we worked through a SWOT analysis, identifying the organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. From this we moved on to take a stab at a single, unifying mission statement. Here’s what our work groups got for draft #1:

To develop a global community of Citizens through personal relationships, mutual trust, and respect
Creating Global Citizens by crossing borders, fostering human capacity building and hope.
To promote the Development of individuals and groups ....

Not completely satisfied with the results, yet pressed for time, we suspended our discussion for the time being with the intention of reconvening in one month’s time to complete the process of more clearly defining the mission of Esperanza International.

Notes from the EI Board SWOT analysis.

This is where you come in. As a member of the Esperanza family, we want your input. In the coming weeks, you are welcome to check in on the Board’s progress and to submit your Mission Statement for Esperanza International directly to the Board!

Click here to submit your statement.

Your EI mission statement must…

Express imminent need
Motivate and Inspire
Use proactive Verbs
Be free of jargon
Be convincing / easy to grasp
Be short enough for anyone to repeat
Express truth and purpose

It is said that within every crisis lies an opportunity. Now is your chance to get re-invigorated about the development of an organization that stays true to the fundamental values of trust, solidarity, and hope to carry it through some of the most difficult situations. You do not find an organization like “Esperanza” everywhere, and it is incumbent upon us, the Esperanza volunteer community, to hold up our end of the bargain in our partnership with FEM. Take the time to change a life, and be changed in the process.

Discussion with the U.S. Consul General in Tijuana

2010-05-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

U.S. Consul General Steve Kashkett visited the Posada yesterday evening to discuss U.S./Mexico relations with the group of Esperanza leaders here this week. We had a fascinating discussion and learned some new insights about safety, the news media, Mexico in general.

Regarding safety and the U.S. travel warning, we know some parents and groups are worried about coming down to Tijuana. A tip from Steve: we really encourage you to read through the U.S. Travel Warning word for word to see what it actually says. The way that the U.S. issues warnings about countries is to issue a warning for an entire country; it just isn't possible to issue warnings for only certain cities/states. Therefore, the statements in the travel warning are very general and must cover all of Mexico. But, if you read carefully, you will see that nowhere does it say not to travel to Tijuana or discuss any great issues regarding safety in Tijuana.
Check out the warning: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_4755.html

Anyway, all of us here really enjoyed our evening with Steve - learning not just about U.S./Mexico relations but also about the U.S. Foreign Service in general.

Seni & Augustin - Lomas de San Antonio

2010-05-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Though it took awhile digging out a large hill, pouring the foundation, and then refilling all of the dirt, we completed Seni and Augustin's house at the end of March with all the excitement and energy, if not more, with which we started.

Seni and Augustin have 3 kids - Lupe, Carlos, y Felipe

Groups which worked on this home:
-First Congregational Church/ Berlin Heights (Ohio)
-Bethany UCC (Ohio)
-Trinity UCC/ College of Wooster (Ohio)
-USC Catholic Center (California)
-Seattle University Xavier Group (Washington)

First Congregational Church chipping away at the hill and rocky foundation

After pouring the foundation, College of Wooster backfilling with all the dirt we dug out + more

Seni proudly pouring her floor

USC Catholic Center building and pouring the walls

After two months of digging, shoveling, and lots of concrete, Seattle U. poured the roof!

Olivia & Efrain - Lazaro Cardenas

2010-05-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Many of you probably know Oli from the work she does at the Posada's garden. Her family has been involved with Esperanza for 15 years now and their dream of having a second story came true in February.

Olivia and Efrain have 3 children - Miriam, Omar, and Alex.

Groups which worked on this home:
-Young adult group from Santa Maria Estrella del Mar in Playas de Tijuana
-First Congregational Church & Berlin Heights group from Ohio

The beginning...

College students from Playas de Tijuana

First Congregational Church pouring the roof

Dream accomplished!!

Welcome to Esperanza's blog!!

2010-05-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

Good evening from Tijuana!

We are starting this blog to keep all of the Esperanza family (and those who are interested in working with us) up to date on our day-to-day activities as well as the current events in Tijuana. We hope that you will feel more connected with us and see the progress we've made on projects that you worked on.

If you have any questions/concerns/comments about families, safety, Tijuana, Esperanza, please feel free to post comments or email us.

Abrazos a todos desde La Posada!