NADACE CAMINO (https://www.camino-zu.org/en/)

Mayra's community in Chiapas

I met Mayra fourteen years ago in the south of the Mexican state of Chiapas. At that time, she devoted her time and energy to working with women who came to Mexico illegally from Central American countries. These young women longed to live a better safer life, instead they found themselves on the pavement in Mexico. Many had no other way out than prostitution. Mayra helped them return to a dignified life, found them a job, helped them build social relationships.

Meanwhile, Mayra got married. However, the village - where Mayra's family lived - turned into a battleground for two drug cartels. Recently, Mayra wrote to me: “We have been on a run from organized crime for a year now. More than 50 friends in our area have disappeared. We experienced first-hand the daily fear and horror. On February 17th, we decided to leave everything behind and run away with only a few personal belongings. We chose to live elsewhere rather than die by a bullet or be kidnapped.” Mayra and her friends thought the escape would only be temporary, but the cartels invaded and destroyed their homes. They have nowhere to return.

And so all five families together bought a plot of land in another area, where they begin to live together. Now they build ecological houses from wood, clay and straw. They establish fields - planting corn, beans, sorghum, vegetables and fruit trees. They procure farm animals. Everything from the peak. They are dependent on themselves. As Mayra writes, "we have a lot of pain and anger because no one is doing anything to solve this problem with the drug cartels." They need to buy wood, sheets, sand, material for electrical installation, bring water. But they are brave: "We have hands to build a house. We have husbands who have experience in building ecological houses. We have already started the construction.'

Current needs:

  • Support in building houses and establishing a farm.

Our support:

  • volunteer/donor trip in january 2023
  • financial support

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