14 Jun Help Make Pastor Ignacio’s Dream Come True
For several years, Pastor Ignacio has dreamed of developing a Centro Cultural de Derechos Humanos (Cultural Center for Human Rights) in Celaya. He recently struck a deal with a property owner to purchase a 10,000 square meter property not far from ABBA House where he plans to build a new migrant community.
His idea is to have the truly migratory men and women—ones who are just passing through Mexico—stay at ABBA House, while the new center would provide permanent housing and an array of services for ABBA’s most vulnerable population: amputees, single women, families, and LGBTQ people who remain in Mexico.
This transformational community would include workshops, gardens, an infirmary, a rehabilitation gymnasium for amputees, and housing for families. There is a public school adjacent to the property that could also serve families with children. In addition, the new center would provide educational information and legal support for migrants affected by human rights violations in Central Mexico.
Pastor Ignacio has secured support for the project from many stakeholders. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has committed to developing the housing; the Red Cross will help set up and run the clinic; the state of Guanajuato and local authorities in Celaya and the University of León have also committed to helping with design and implementation. But Pastor Ignacio is looking to us at the Latin American Relief Fund to finance the purchase of the property and we will need your help.
Here’s our current challenge: the property owner has agreed to accept $85,000USD as a down payment, with the rest being paid in installments over the next two years. Thanks to LARF’s donors, who gave so generously in 2021, we have set aside nearly $50,000 for the down payment. But we need to raise $35,000 more over the next five to six months to meet the challenge.
June is National Immigrant Heritage Month, but migrants dreaming of a better life in the U.S. are suffering major setbacks. In the last month, a federal court ruled that the U.S. government must continue to expel migrants at the southern border, under the controversial public health rule known as Title 42, first implemented under President Trump. The Supreme Court heard arguments about whether to continue the cruel “Migrant Protection Protocols,” better known as the Remain in Mexico policy, which requires asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their case proceeds in the U.S. What this means is that many more migrants will have to remain in Mexico for extended periods of time. Building the Centro Cultural de Derechos Humanos will help meet the needs of migrants and refugees, in addition to providing expanded services to the numerous amputees we serve each year.
In these dark times, we are all yearning for a more just world. Donating to our campaign for the Center for Human Rights is an opportunity to make it a better place for some of the world’s most marginalized people. Please consider making a donation today, and help Pastor Ignacio’s dream come true.