Casa Indigenista de Paz Project
On April 13, 2002, the American Friends Service Committee sponsored a
gardening project at
the Casa Indigenista de Paz in Tijuana, a
shelter for children, homeless people, and others in need. Adults and teens joined local residents to create a Friendship Garden
consisting of corn, tomatoes, beans, zucchini and various herbs (see pictures
below).
Also shown on this page are pictures from the 12th Anniversary Celebration of
Maclovio Rojas (a colonia between Tijuana and Tecate), which took place on the same day. For the past five years the AFSC/SCQM
Youth Service Project has no only helped the residents of this community to
build a Women's Center, Community Center, etc., we we have also been supportive
of their
struggles for land rights and dignity.
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Local and Quaker volunteers at the Casa Indigenista |
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Andi McLeod showing kids at the Casa how to plant |
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Community leader Martha Huerta with David Gastil and Kate Thompson admiring the cilantro |
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Local resident making sherbet at the Casa to share with volunteers and kids from the local community |
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German grad student Jorgen pushing Casa kids on the carousel swing |
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Hortensia and Judith dedicating Aztec fertility goddess statue at the Women's Center at Maclovio Rojas's Anniversary Celebration, April 13, 2002 |
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Juan Santiago, Indian shaman from Baja California, leading a ceremonial dance at Maclovio Rojas Anniversary Celebration |
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The Casa
Indigenista has attracted many indigenous people from the
interior of Mexico. They have not been able to rely on the municipal systems
to provide physical or moral support in any way. Largely, women and children
are affected. The majority of these indigenous migrants come from
Oaxaca, Guerrero, Pueblo, Veracruz, Quarter, Nayarit and Valle de Mexico. In
order to address this obvious need the Casa Indigenista House of Peace was
established in 1985 This center offers support and services to families who
arrive at this frontier city with dreams of a better life, and reinforces the
abolition of poverty by affirming their rights and providing educational
resources for their children. Casa Indigenista is a non-profit society which
operates on the basis of donations. 50% of the families serviced are selling
Chiclets on the streets in order to eek out a living. As they do not
have the necessary permits, they often have difficulty with the authorities,
and are at the mercy of poverty and the indifference of society. The objective
of the Casa Indigenista is to provide a sanctuary where these families can
feel safe, know that they are valued, and can learn the lifeskills they
need in order to become an integral part of Mexican society. Please support
this deserving non-profit society with donations of money, food , building
supplies and educational supplies.
