Hello everyone! My name is Emily Velichka, and I am a rising junior student at the College of Wooster. I am a resident of Wickliffe, and have been a parishioner of St. William (and now Ss. Robert and William) my entire life. This past March, I was fortunate enough to travel to Tijuana, Mexico, with a group of fellow students and parishioners of Wooster Trinity United Church of Christ to volunteer with Esperanza International. This experience made a large impact on my life, and I wanted to share my stories with you.

Esperanza International is a non-profit organization founded in 1985 in San Diego, California. The Tijuana branch of the organization with whom I worked for, Fundacion Esperanza de Mexico, was founded in 1990. The program seeks to help low-income families in the area build or fix their homes, primarily using cement. Esperanza’s mission is to “envision a world in which communities across borders work in solidarity toward a common dream of sustainable, dignified housing for all people.” This mission was certainly exemplified throughout the duration of my weeklong stay. 

Our days each began with a group breakfast, followed by a description of the worksite we were attending that day. We typically worked from 8:30 until 4:00, with a short lunch break. Lunch was typically made by the family whose home we were working on as a thank you for our work. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but I quickly realized that the type of work we were doing would involve dedication, teamwork, and a lot of cement! On Monday, we traveled to the village of San Antonio, where we worked to pour a cement floor as the foundation of a home. This involved mixing cement, pouring it into buckets, and passing the buckets down a line until they could be poured. This project introduced me to the difficult process of mixing cement, while also encouraging cooperation within our group and the two other colleges we were working with. Tuesday we traveled to another area of Tijuana where we poured another small floor and worked to excavate an area that would eventually become an addition to the current house. Wednesday was our hardest day, as we poured a cement floor. This process was long, difficult, and frustrating as we were all getting sore and tired as the week progressed. However, it was amazing to see the final product at the end of the day. Thursday and Friday, we again returned to San Antonio where we created walls of the home we started Monday by stacking cement blocks and wiring the foundation. This work was exhausting and much different than anything I had done before, but I truly enjoyed the easygoing atmosphere and cohesive atmosphere of the worksites.

Outside of work, we did have time for fun! Sunday afternoon, we made a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border wall. It was shocking to see the beautiful artwork that adorns the Mexican side of the border, and the laid-back attitude residents have there. We encountered families on the beach, food stands, and even some people planting a garden in front of the wall. However, I was also reminded of the heartbreak behind this structure as we saw several families communicating through the wall regulated by the border patrol. This day reminded me of how lucky I am to live with my family, and how that wish should be granted to everyone. Wednesday, we traveled to an all-girls Catholic orphanage where we spent the evening. It was so much fun to play with the girls and let them braid our hair or take selfies on our phones. I had a difficult time leaving a couple behind, but I know they are taken care of and loved immensely at the facility. Thursday evening, we ate dinner with the residents of Casa Migrante, a deportation home for males from the U.S. It was emotionally difficult to face men who had risked it all to travel to our nation and obtain the “American Dream.” However, seeing the smiling faces of the volunteers and even some of the residents made my stay a little brighter. Our last night was spent at a Tijuana Xolos soccer game, where I was able to see soccer to Mexico is as important as football is to us! Our group also had nightly reflection and prayer periods, where we discussed what we had learned at work or our additional activity that day. I truly enjoyed these times, especially when our day was emotionally loaded at the orphanage or Casa. It was nice to pray as a group, but also to take time and reflect on the day individually afterwards. 

From this experience, I have not only gained some construction skills, but have also learned the fundamental value in working as a team. We could have easily hired a giant cement mixer to complete these jobs for us, but part of the significance of these homes was knowing that our personal work went into them. Seeing the border wall and interacting with the native residents of Tijuana has made me appreciate and love their unique and community-centered culture. I cannot wait to return next spring break and hopefully as a long-term volunteer after my college graduation.

If you have any questions about Esperanza or how you can become a part of this wonderful organization, don’t hesitate to email me at emily.velichka@gmail.com. Thank you!