ICF ORGANIZES DONOR TOUR TO TIJUANA

On March 12th, ICF organized a donor tour of Tijuana in collaboration with San Diego Grantmakers and FINCOMUN. The half-day trip featured a visit to the newly constructed Children's Hospital of the Californias, the only pediatric hospital in the state of Baja California, built through a successful trinational effort (U.S., Mexico, and Canada). The group met with Dr. Betty Jones to discuss children’s health needs in Tijuana and how the hospital is addressing them through direct health services and outreach and education programs.

The tour continued with a visit to Maclovio Rojas, a squatter community of about 7,000 people located on the easternmost section of the city. The group met with local leader Hortensia Hernández and other community leaders to discuss the issues of land tenure, education, and community development that squatters are struggling with. Unplanned settlements such as Maclovio Rojas make up about 50% of all new development in Tijuana and the management of such settlements is one of the most pressing issues facing cities throughout the developing world.

The group finished its tour by eating lunch with board, staff, and community leaders affiliated with Fundación Esperanza, a community development program working in five colonias throughout the city. Residents spoke about their participation in Esperanza’s community run and managed housing savings and loan fund, and about their interest in creating a fund for micro-enterprise lending.

According to participant Harry Duvall, the tour was "overwhelming and inspiring. Overwhelming because the needs are so great, but inspiring to see how much people are doing to change their lives and communities."