Eileen's Story: Part 2 - A Portrait of Life at the Border
“A Portrait of Life at the Border” is a blog series that brings you first-hand stories of the courageous, resilient people we serve at Misión de Caridad.
Last month, we shared the story of Eileen, a 26-year-old mother from Southern Mexico who moved to San Luis Rio Colorado to begin a new life at the border. Eileen is an internally displaced person (IDP) who fled violence in her home town.
Where is Eileen now?
We first met Eileen while she was washing her laundry in a bucket with a broomstick while she kept her 2-year-old away from a busy road that was just feet away.
We met Eileen during one of our trips to Mexico. We saw her as we were driving by and stopped to find out what she was doing.
Since then, she and her family have moved to a different part of town where surroundings are much safer for her toddler. Gone are the wooden boards, rusted nails, and fast cars zipping by. Instead, they now occupy two small one-room buildings, on the grounds of a larger house belonging to a local family. Eileen and her 2-year-old live in one building, while her parents occupy the other. The building that her parents live in does not have a door and so for now, they hang a piece of cloth over an opening in the walls.
Eileen updates co-founders of Misión de Caridad Jean and Francisco about her living situation.
At the time of our visit, there was no working kitchen or bathroom. Despite these challenges, Eileen had plans to build her own kitchen in the space between the two buildings. She had gathered some wooden boards a sink, piping and other supplies for this purpose. As for the bathroom, Eileen had found a shower head, used her piping and gathered tiles to tile the floor and walls of her DIY bathroom. She told us that she is learning how to everything from YouTube.
Have you ever seen anyone this resourceful?
Not only did Eileen think about functionality, she also wanted her place to look pretty! She had painted the two buildings a cute shade of blue. However, some parts at the top of the walls were still unpainted because she has a fear of heights.
Eileen’s New Home
We visited again a few weeks later and were amazed at how different Eileen’s new home looked!
In addition to building her kitchen, Eileen had made everything look clean and organized, just the way it had been in her previous house. This woman is truly something!
Eileen loves to cook. In her hometown, her family ran a restaurant together until they had to shutter due to the threat of gang violence. Their next plan was to open a restaurant in San Luis Rio Colorado. However, due to Covid, they have not been able to realize their dream and all their savings have been depleted. Despite these challenges, Eileen has never stopped doing her best to cook healthy and delicious meals.
Have you ever seen anything this resourceful?
At her previous home, we saw that she had the freshest fruits and vegetables in the corner and no junk food in sight. Even in that tiny box with no certain future, she had been thoughtful about her space and lifestyle choices.
Eileen’s former kitchen
Eileen’s Future Plans
Eileen shared with us that she wants to go back to school. She does not have education past primary school, which is typical of the area in Southern Mexico where she is from. She is planning to pursue her secondary school education using an adult education program called Instituto Sonorense de Educación para los Adultos (Sonoran Institute of Adult Education).
Although going back to school might be tough for some adults, we are convinced that Eileen will excel if given the right support. She is extremely bright and motivated. Plus, she’s got plenty of hidden talents, including being a good saleswoman! She told us - “I could sell stones if i need to”.
Eileen and her parents are still hoping to open and run a restaurant just like they used to in Southern Mexico. Because she knows many recipes from southern Mexico, Eileen wants to share cuisine from that region with the people who live at the U.S.-Mexico border. Although the family has yet to realize their dream, they certainly have the determination and resilience to get there!
Eileen moved to the border in order to provide a better future for her 2-year-old son
We continue to help Eileen and her family with healthy grocery deliveries and basic supplies. We are also exploring ways to help them achieve their dream of being financially independent again.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to help internally displaced persons like Eileen rebuild their lives!
For many refugees and internally displaced persons, rebuilding their lives means having the opportunity to become financially independent again.
In the coming weeks, we will be sharing more first-hand stories of the courageous, resilient people we serve. Stay tuned!
Missed Part 1 of Eileen’s story? Read it here.
Wondering why people are fleeing Southern Mexico? Here’s our take on why this is happening.
Curious about who we are? Meet the humans behind the mission.
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