MdC’s Empowerment Programs
At Misión de Caridad (MdC), we serve women and children in three distinct populations. Refugees coming to the U.S./Mexico border, internally displaced people (IDPs) who have fled southern Mexico, and migrant farmworkers.
On the outskirts of the city of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico our “Casa Esperanza” Empowerment Center is forever changing the lives of families at the border. Casa Esperanza is a functional space where we run our many programs and have open space for games and community activities.
MdC gives families the tools they need to live with dignity.
Searching for a Better Life
In the Besitos community, 70% of the women that MdC serves are displaced and have come to the border looking for a better life. Our work focuses on a community on the outskirts of the city, just 4-miles from the U.S border in an area we call “Besitos”, where many migrants have built homes.
The migrants we work with often do not fit the legal definition of a refugee, which restrictively requires people to be fleeing extreme violence or persecution and to cross an international border. As a result, although they may be experiencing many of the same things, they are not eligible for asylum in the United States and are often invisible to other aid organizations and the news media.
Internally displaced migrants can often be more vulnerable than refugees because their poverty extends beyond just income and economics, but includes poverty of health, education, will, community and more. Many of the people we work with have fled desperate circumstances and need help to restart their lives in northern Mexico. We empower migrants to build the lives they are searching for, in Mexico.
The “Besitos” community is located just four miles from the border, on the outskirts of the city in an area without paved roads that borders the open desert.
Ending the Cycle of Poverty
The main focus of our organization is long-term empowerment programs that will enable families to end cycles of poverty. Rather than merely giving out aid that creates dependency, MdC provides opportunities for displaced families to improve their situations themselves. To do this, we focus on teaching skills that enable people to transform their lives. We empower people to live self-sufficiently and thrive as families.
All of our programs are run by our passionate and hard-working team that live in Mexico, and many of live in the very community that we serve. Our team in Mexico is no stranger to what our families face, so they know how to relate to and encourage those we serve. Furthermore, our staff knows the culture of the area, helping us implement programs that are understood by the community.
Our team in Mexico is from Mexico and understands the challenges that face the Besitos community.
Economic Poverty
Economic poverty is the root of many of the challenges that face Besitos. Most adults in the community have little education or work experience beyond manual or unskilled labor, making it hard to find jobs that pay well. For those who are farmers, work is seasonal and unpredictable. For unskilled labor, there are often not enough jobs to go around. Of the people we work with, 99% earn less than $100 a week, barely enough to feed a family of four. Poverty limits resources for the families we serve: 26% have no electricity, 92% have no internet, and 52% have no car. Homes are built piece-by-piece from any materials available and many lack air conditioning, windows, or complete roofs despite summer temperatures over 110°F and winter temperatures below 40°F.
In Besitos, people construct houses from whatever materials they can find, often living without air conditioning, windows, or even complete roofs.
Providing Opportunities to Earn a Living Wage
Ending poverty requires economic self-sufficiency first and foremost. At MdC, we empower women to earn a living wage.
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Job opportunities that allow women to work and still care for their children are a key strategy for addressing economic poverty. Our work programs—which include making bags from recycled materials and embroidery—provide women with a reliable way to earn a living. These jobs can be done at home, so mothers can take care of children while working, rather than leaving them for long hours alone while they work in the fields or clean houses (which are the two primary ways women earn an income today). We are in the process of making the bags available for sale at stores and online in the U.S., which will provide women in Besitos with a steady source of income.
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Hiring and paying staff from the Besitos community is another key part of our efforts to reduce economic poverty in the area. We currently have seven members of the community on our weekly payroll. Everyone who works for MdC is paid a fair wage and provided opportunities to grow.
In our program, women learn to make bags out of recycled materials for our women’s bag making program. Our bags are then sold in the U.S.
Poverty of Health
In the communities we serve, many have never been taught basic health concepts like avoiding sugary foods and drinks or brushing teeth, and are facing conditions such as diabetes and obesity as a result. In April of 2021, the analysis from our medical fair indicated that 76% of the women were overweight. Families cannot access healthy food because the cost is often more than they can afford and because no stores in the community sell fruits or vegetables. People often choose soda over water for drinks because it is the same price and perceived as more refreshing, worsening health problems because of its high sugar content. In addition to physical health challenges, many women in the community struggle with depression and anxiety. On top of these issues, a lack of health insurance and access to affordable care makes it difficult to identify and address health problems.
Many families we serve have not learned important health skills. Here, dental Student Ivanna teaches students about dental health.
Supporting Lifelong Health
Families need good health to build better lives. MdC runs holistic programs focused on preventing common health issues and providing essential healthcare in the Besitos community.
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Health education is our core strategy for addressing poverty of health. Our health seminars that are held once per month at our weekly Super Saturday event teach adults how to establish a healthy lifestyle. Seminars focus on practical ways families can improve their health, such as better nutrition by eating vegetables and drinking water instead of soda, the importance of exercise, and how to select and prepare healthy foods. Families want to learn how to live healthier and we have seen a big impact from these seminars on health in the community. Children attend a weekly class focused on health, with lessons on vitamins, minerals, exercise, choosing healthy snacks, how to brush teeth, and more.
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Bi-Annual medical fairs are a combined effort between our Mexican staff and American medical professionals designed to address major health issues in the community. These fairs give families free access to medical professionals, who can educate and address health, dental and vision issues. They have succeeded in treating cavities, diagnosing and treating diabetes, educating on a variety of health issues, and providing glasses to help people see clearly for the first time in their lives. Our fairs include 7-8 different stations designed to gather information, educate, and treat issues.
For many families, our medical fairs are the only chance they have to see a doctor.
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Healthy food and clean water are provided to families that are enrolled in MdC programs. Water is provided 6-days a week and the community can bring their 5-liter jugs to be refilled. Our Feed-a-Family program provides healthy groceries to families once per month. The food bags contain enough food to feed a family for 7-10 days. We work closely with nutritionists to choose healthy food for families in each of the food groups. Currently, we include a healthy meal weekly at our Saturday program.
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Weekly exercise and walking programs run by our staff promote healthy lifestyles and fight obesity in the community. Our exercise class is run weekly at our Super Saturday program and our walking program is run twice per week. Three days of exercise provide a consistent way for women to move toward a more healthy lifestyle while building community at the same time.
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Mental health programs are currently being developed by our team to teach women how to cope with depression and anxiety. We are working with a mental health specialist to teach women to identify triggers and practice strategies for self-care.
People can come to Casa Esperanza to get clean water.
Poverty of Education
Many children in the Besitos community don’t attend school consistently for many reasons. Some major ones are that school is far away and kids lack transportation because there are no school buses; hot or cold weather makes walking to school difficult; children are required to work to support their families; children are so far behind that schools won’t accept them; and some parents do not understand the value of an education. COVID was also a huge barrier for families when schools shut down for over two years due to the pandemic. Lack of access to electricity, internet, and computers at home were all barriers to learning.
Many children are learning to read and write for the very first time at our education programs. Our teacher, Maria, is teaching sound combinations which are a key building block to reading.
Giving Children the Education They Deserve
At MdC, we believe education is critical for breaking free of generational cycles of poverty, which is why we do all we can to promote education for children in the Besitos community. All of our programs are led by educational professionals, who teach Spanish, English, math, and other key subjects.
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After/before school education programs are geared to teach children to read that are not in school and for those that are, help supplement their learning. Classes provide individual attention to meet children where they are in their learning.
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Summer school programs provide opportunities for children to continue to learn while school is out of session and catch up to grade level. We teach reading, writing math, English, science, health, physical education, and art in our program in a fun and engaging manner. Students learn the importance of working together in teams and following instructions. Children attend 5 days per week for 3 hours per day and a hot meal is served each day.
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Scholarships to keep kids in school are key to our strategy for addressing poverty of education. We lower barriers to education by helping families cover the costs required to attend school. Our scholarships provide children uniforms, school supplies, and a grocery gift card to supplement lost income. Scholarships also provide transportation assistance that makes school accessible to children.
Carmen is teaching a group of students math.
Poverty of Community
In the community where MdC serves, 70% of the women were born in another area and have no roots in the community. The result is a lack of a community support or network through difficult times. This means they have no friends to turn to when they face difficulties in their lives or people to turn to when they need help. Life is already hard and a lack of a strong community and support network makes it that much more lonely and overwhelming for families.
Families need community for friendship and support, displaced families often struggle alone in poverty.
Building Networks of Support
Recognizing that a strong support network, friendships, and community are important, MdC designs programs that develop relationships between neighbors. As families form friendships, they can share their struggles and are empowered to work together to transform their community for the better.
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Community gatherings at our Super Saturday events help families get to know their neighbors. Each week, over 100 people gather to participate in a variety of activities. Classes for children are provided while women can select from a variety of options including an exercise class or learning a skill to help them to earn additional income. This gives women a chance to learn from each other while children are attending a class geared toward fun activities related to health and dental teaching. There is also a weekly time to play games together and share a meal. The event gives the community a regular time and space to meet, helping to build support networks.
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Identifying leaders in the community is also key to addressing poverty. When we identify and equip leaders, we empower them to be role models and show the possibilities and provide hope to others in the community. This is one reason why we prioritize hiring staff from within the Besitos community.
Children play with their neighbors and form friendships at our Super Saturday events.
Our Vision: A Community Transformed
We are seeing real and meaningful change at the border just three years since MdC’s formation and one year since the launch of our empowerment programs in Besitos. Attendance at events and the choices families are making show that people are taking their first steps towards self-sufficiency and are determined to improve their lives.
Our ultimate vision is to see a community transformed with households earning a living wage, homes that are sturdy and safe, families physically and emotionally healthy, children graduating high school and attending college, adults learning to read and write, and community members working together to make this a reality.
MdC co-founders Francisco and Jean with a family at Casa Esperanza. Building relationships and working with families to end poverty is central to our mission.
Casa Esperanza Empowerment Center
To better serve the community, we constructed our Casa Esperanza Empowerment Center right in the heart of the Besitos community. This provides us the much needed space to run our empowerment programs and to consolidate all of our services under one roof.
Phase one was completed in November of 2022, and we now have 5 classrooms to house our current programs, office space for our staff, and a much-needed kitchen to prepare food and teach healthy cooking. The space is changing lives through women’s work certificates, class credits, and diplomas at all education levels. Most importantly, it is a place that conveys hope, welcomes all, and treats people with dignity.
Casa Esperanza Empowerment Center is the cornerstone of our plan to build a better future for kids in the Besitos community.
How to Help
MdC is changing lives in Mexico. We offer a solution to the border crisis by helping families create the lives they want without the dangers of crossing illegally or splitting their family. In the few years since our creation, we have seen enormous growth in our organization and transformation in the community we serve. If you want to learn more about us, please sign up for our newsletter and follow our social media. If you want to support us in making a difference at the border, please donate to support our work.
MdC’s framework of the different facets of poverty was informed by our relationship with the nonprofit Potter’s House, whose description of poverty can be found here