Via Migrante
Paths to Human Dignity in the Migrant Communities
of Baja California
Via Migrante creates paths to self-sufficiency in the migrant shelters and public plazas of Tijuana. At these sites Vía facilitates activities of self-reliance and self-determination to catalyze the leadership that already exists in migrant networks.
The Via Migrante program supports populations impacted by migration through holistic, multidisciplinary programming in partnership with shelters and grassroots advocacy groups. Life as a migrant is isolating and oftentimes traumatic, and our program breaks down barriers to offer resources and support services to individuals and families living this trauma. Our team reaches migrants where they are -- in shelters and in public plazas that serve as gathering places for people on the move. We identify key leaders in these networks, and offer trainings on topics as diverse as nutrition, health, finance and entrepreneurship, leadership development, and ecology customized to their circumstances. Through a program of participatory education (usually 12 weeks), people get to know each other, and leadership cohorts are strengthened. The needs of migrant communities are many and participants in the program work together to shed light on the way forward. Community leaders lead.
Our work with migrant populations in Tijuana is two-fold: first, to empower those who are newly residing in Tijuana, whether permanently or semi-permanently; and second, to facilitate access to the asylum process and other legal pathways of entering the United States. While we offer direct assistance (like food support), we never lose sight of the community development approach. Via Migrante creates paths to self-sufficiency, an approach which saves money, saves lives, and provides REAL SOLUTIONS to migrant communities in the Tijuana border region.
We are proud to report that as a result of Via Migrante, migrants access tools and confidence to make new lives for themselves and their families while networks of shelters and community groups strengthen their capacity to serve.
Our key program partners include:
