MIGRANT SHELTER HERMANOS EN EL CAMINO
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Context The shelter Hermanos en el Camino (Brothers in the Road) is located in southern Mexico in the state of Oaxaca, one of the poorest regions of Mexico. The state of Oaxaca, along with Chiapas and Guerrero, have the highest rates of illiteracy, extreme poverty, marginalization and unemployment in the country. The city of Ixtepec has 24,000 inhabitants and is the point of convergence between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, with migration flows coming from the south, primarily Central America. The majority of the migrants arrive by riding on top of freight trains coming from the neighboring state of Chiapas. Their journey on the train from Arriaga, Chiapas to Ixtepec, Oaxaca is generally between 12 and 14 hours. During the trip, many are assaulted, robbd, kidnapped, raped, and also face extorsion by the Municipal, State, and Federal Police, as well as the National Institute of Immigration. Due to Ixtepec´s strategic and geopolitical importance in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it has been chosen by many gangs as the center of operations. It is the most desirable location for extracting enormous amounts of money from migrants, by any means possible. The Shelter The shelter Hermanos en el Camino was founded on February 26, 2007 to provide humanitarian aid (food, shelter, medical, psychological, and legal help) to our migrant brothers from Central America, as well as South America, Asia, and Africa. More than 400 migrants sought refuge at the shelter on the first night. Since then, the flow of people has been constant. Founder Father Alejandro Solalinde Guerrra, Coordinator of the Pastoral of Human Mobility, South Pacific Region of the Mexican Episcopate. "The greatest challenge that I must overcome is the intimidation, the harassment, and the constant lack of respect from people who do not want my work helping migrants to succeed. Many local authorities, gangs, and drug traffickers would love to free themselves from the defenders of human rights." -- Father Solalinde, October 2009. VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES At the shelter Hermanos en el Camino, we are all volunteers! This is your opportunity to support our migrant brothers and have a life changing experience. Come join our team! Contact us. albertodonis@hermanosenelcamino.org fatolin@hotmail.com lupini0615@yahoo.com DONATIONS We thank you in advance for whatever form of support you can provide us, both in-person or monetary donations. We request that you contact us before making any donation to ensure that we can make the best connection possible. You can also donate any amount via PayPal: |
