Maquilapolis

If you want to learn more about the documentary that we watched, you can go to the website at:
http://www.maquilapolis.com/ or buy the DVD here http://www.pbs.org/pov/maquilapolis/

St. Louise Youth Ministry

Hey guys! Hope everyone made it home safe and sound! The St. Louise Youth Ministry arrived at La Posada shortly after we left. Like us, they will be working with Esperanza to help build a home and to help build communities in the process. You can check out their blog here: http://tijuanatrek2010.blogspot.com/

St. Louise Youth Ministry at Taqueria La Gloria.

Communidad, Maquiladoras, y La Frontera

Hola! Me llamo Nosotros Awesome. Soy de Esperanza. Es mi primera vez.. just kidding.

We filled into the cars ready for our first efforts to create a home for Marta; a member of the Esperanza Foundation who has worked alongside all of us for the past few days. Marta, her husband, her sons Roberto and Uriel, and her daughter Teresa have been members of the foundation for eight months and Uriel is the hardest worker south of the border! We arrived at the site and set up teams to divide the workload. Twelve members of our team were sent to our previous location to lay the foundation to prepare for the creation of the walls. The remaining pierced their shovels into the harsh ground ready to dig fifty-two inches deep to create a perimeter. We uncovered many hidden treasures including an old bath mat, a lion head ring, seven tires, and the casing to a car battery.

After lunch we started the meticulous process of removing the dirt from the trenches ten feet away. What seemed chaotic and unorganized turned out to be a successful and fast method. We worked together singing while lifting bucket after bucket almost effortlessly. However, our work was stopped short with an impromptu meeting with the ladies of the community. This gave us the opportunity to meet the women in these homes, working with us, and serving us lunch day after day. We learned of the compassion that developed between them because of the program and how they chose to work together to see each individual family succeed in building their very own home.

Tuesday, we had a very special chance to watch a documentary regarding the “Maquiladoras”. The documentary revealed the harsh conditions workers face day after day. The employees worked long hours each day engulfed in fumes that for many caused nose bleeds, leukemia, and skin ailments. Foreign companies came to Tijuana hoping to find cheap labor. This documentary gave us some insight into the real conditions these people work in, which is usually masked to the public. Marcel organized a tour for us in the Tyco Industries factory. The director informed us that workers were treated much differently than what we saw in the documentary. We remained skeptical as we entered the work site and found the fumes to be nauseating. When we asked our tour guide why the men and women who work 10 hours a day in this stench aren’t wearing masks, he informed us that the adhesives were water soluble and were not legally required to have them wear masks. We were in the space for only minutes and many of us felt light headed. The tour guide seemed to be more interested in us being well informed about Tyco products rather than the overall well-being of the factory workers.

Before arriving back to the Pasada, Eduardo brought us to the border that extended into the ocean. We were able to take in the beauty that Tijuana has to offer as we looked into the horizon and enjoyed some frozen platanos. To the right of the beautiful beach, the plentiful food, and the wonderful people stood this ugly fence covered with rust that deterred the serenity of the rest of the scene.

Tonight we are taking some time to dwell on our thoughts and observations and will be meeting tomorrow to share more about border relations.

Nosotros (somos) Awesome signing off!!

Bonding at the Work Site.

Today we had the opportunity to visit the AIDS clinic in La Morita. This clinic is unique in the fact that it is self sustaining and staffed by the patients that inhabit it. The tour of the facility was lead by one of the patients/assistant director and we learned a great deal about the facility's history and background. He explained that the clinic is funded in part by private donations and in part by government grants. He also explained that he is responsible for administering the medication to the patients in the clinic, under instruction from local doctors. The clinic no only provides a place for the patients to live and rest in, but they also provide many classes that educate the tenants about preventative measures to combat spreading HIV, alcohol and drug abuse education, as well as self-esteem based workshops and the like.

The tour of the facility was a huge eye-opener for many people in our group. Perhaps one of the biggest and most surprising revelations that was shared throughout our group was gained from the interactions between us and the tenants of the clinic. Everyone was impressed by the warm reception we received, and the opportunity to interact, shake hands with, and talk to the tenants worked wonders to combat the fear and stigmata surrounding AIDS and AIDS patients.


Another part of our group visited a local soup kitchen called Missions of Charity. The mission was inspired by the influential Mother Theresa, who set up the Mission. Today the mission is run by a group of nuns from all over the world. We were fortunate enough to meet and serve to 350 male members of the local community that turned out for the meal. At the end of the experience, the group as a whole reflected about the dedication and determination that the nuns approached their service with.

The group that visited the kitchen was surprised to experience how difficult it was to serve to such a large number of people with only about a dozen volunteers. This feeling was compounded by the fact that, normally, there is only about 4 volunteers that run the kitchen, a true testament to the dedication of the nuns.

The majority of the group worked to prepare and pour the foundation of a house in the community of La Morita. The work day was the longest and most intense of the week, and few and far between were the group members that avoided being covered with cement and pushing themselves to the limit. Part of our group split up and worked to prepare a roof for an elderly woman named Gloria. They have to have the roof poured by the end of the week.

Everyone here shares an excitement to finish the work projects we started, as well as getting to know better the community members we are working with. Even though our group is a collection of people from four different parts of the United States, we have developed an incredibly strong group bond.

Day 2

Falling Sand team's report-

Today the question of identity came to mind. Who are we? And who will we become?

We watched a video on maquiladoras and spoke with two women from the documentary. The name of the documentary is "Maquilaopolis." It was powerful and hopeful to hear their efforts to change the systems of oppression that cause so many to suffer. Being in Tijuana brings to the forefront the disparities of our world and how we contribute to those ills. I hope to continue to gain ideas and hopes for a new world in which we respect all people's dignity.

Is it better to have factories that employ people but don't treat them well, or better not to have the factories at all? Will those factories be reformed? Is it possible. The film showed us that a small group of women, working together, can battle big business and win.

while visiting the clinic earlier this morning, the poor living conditions were exposed yet again. The clinic itself was built on a former landfill area proving that there was a lack of sufficient land to build on. its amazing that these people can make do with what they have so well but also don't look down upon themselves but look at everything in a positive light.

its only the second day in and i already realize what makes me miss being here so much. immersing yourself in another community and culture helps remind you of who you are and where you come from. I have so many gifts to give and yet things still to learn as well. I hope to find ways to bring the joy I experience in Tijuana back with me in my day-to-day life. The relationships I have developed here in Tijuana have changed me and my perspective, but when I am 1000s of miles I can sometimes forget the people and experiences of Tijuana. I want to make a commitment this year to keep those important people and experiences close to me even when I am far away (physically).

I promise.

Stay classy Tijuana.

Day 1

Dear Friends,

We had an unorganized breakfast, where we just ate randomly. Today was the first day that we went out to a site. Despite it being our first day, we were given the opportunity to literally top off a house. We joined a family, their friends, and relatives to put the roof on their new main structure. It was quite an amazing experience to share with them the last major stage of their new home.

We were able to finish it in 10 sec flat because we are that good, we struggled at first with people such as Akbar who was unable to lift a single bucket over his head; nonetheless, Bri stepped up with the bulging biceps and did what needed to be done. As buckets flew, sweat poured down our backs and the sun beamed down our Arnold Schwarzenegger backs, we continued to finish the family's home while knowing that we were doing something special on a stranger danger person's life.

We were reward for our selfless action with AMAZINGLY good, liver, that's right I said LIVER. Matias ate 6 while Hobbes fell behind and only ate 5. Everyone seemed to enjoy the lunch, knowing that it was cooked with love, but still unaware that an Argentinian was in their presence.

After completing the roof, our group went down the street to help another community family create cinder blocks. The family pressed sand and water to create the perfect blocks which would fit together to create their home. It was a rare treat to be able to witness the process, and to realize how much effort goes into building these houses in total. Every aspect of building these houses takes preparation and attention to fine detail.

Next, the group was invited to visit the home of a family whose house was built by Esperanza eight years ago by the New York members. The family was touched, and seemed just as emotional about the hard work and love that had been poured into their home as the day it was finished. Tears of joy were shed and the wife of the family reminisced with group members whom she had held close to her heart for all of these years. We were able to tour the house and view it as an example of what a completed home looks like. There were two bedrooms and and a living room/kitchen area which were painted in a fresh pink. The home was comfortable and cool, and had personality and character. It was clear what a bond had been formed between two cultures when we noticed the framed picture of an Esperanza volunteer sitting on the families front table along side a child's diploma and family portraits.

After work, we visited a migrant home. It was an amazing place filled with a lot of love from the people that were temporarily staying there. We learned about the shelter, how it is ran, and the people who stay there. They fed us dinner alongside the migrants who were there. A lot of them had stories of crossing the border and getting caught. Others, lived in the States for almost 20 years before getting deported back to Tijuana. They were inviting and open of our presence and were kind enough to give us a tour of the shelter. It is a well kept place that can fit up to 100 migrants. The volunteers who work there are supportive and helpful to the migrants, they let them know that they are not alone as well as educating them. They give them back hope and self esteem to help them get back on their feet. Many of them have traveled or been deported hundreds of miles with little food or sleep. It was great to learn about the people there and their stories. During this whole time though, Micheal decided to always stay behind and talk to people while we continue to tour around. We almost got him to get a hair cut over there so that he was able to share more of his hair to other families, but we were moving on and we didn't want to cut in line.

As we experience such a wonderful day, it wasn't always so wonderful with danger approaching at every corner. The Mexican mafia and the drug dealers chasing us at every step, but there was hope, for Cerealbar (AKA Akbar) and Ty (AKA Matias) were on the look out for these dangerous people and Ninja them away from our precious group that we love so much. At the end of the day, the Mexican mafia and the drug dealers decided to call us and wished to surrender and that is how Matias and Akbar saved the day.

Bake Sale at the Farmer's Market

Last Thursday, the Boston-area Free Agents of Hope got together for a fundraiser bake sale at the Codman Square Farmer's Market. It was a great turnout at the market and our supporter wall filled up quickly.

The evening before the market, we were hard at work baking. Thanks to the time and energy by group members Sumaya, myself & Rodney, we were able to offer apple crisp, brownies, carrot cake, banana bread and a chocolate fountain! While some turned out better than others, it was definitely a lot of fun preparing all of them.

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog for the "Free Agents of Hope"! Our next trip to Tijuana will be from July 25th to 31st, 2010. We will be using this website to post updates from our trip and other related events to share with our family and friends...stay tuned!!!