Mariano

El Paraje, Texcatepec, Veracruz

On the 26th of November 2022, Fomento participated in a community assembly with 130 men, 50 women, and 40 youth. The local authorities from the four communities of the “Bienes Comunales” were also in attendance.

Fomento took advantage of the assembly to present the results of Ambulantes program interviews. It’s important to note that the participants were surprised because they had never been presented with this type of information. They shared their worries about the cases of several youths who has been lost or affected by the consumption of drugs, in particular crystal meth.

The authorities believe that they can hold assemblies in each community to discuss these subjects and think deeply about how to help in these cases of youth migrants. However, he recognizes that most people who leave the community are migrating undocumented to New York.

Mariano was anxious before the meeting: “We didn’t have a clear idea of what Fomento would discuss in the assembly, but on discussing, I realized the importance because I have already gone several times to the harvest.

It’s good to know because now we can share with our children and other youth, who are the ones migrating now.”

For Mariano, the assembly was an important space to share information with others: “Above all because contractors are coming directly to the communities without informing the municipalities. Later we don’t know who the contractors are.”

He considers that the information shared in the assembly will help parents to talk with their children and suggest forms to migrate in which the kids know what to ask and inform the municipal agent before leaving.

Mariano had not heard these subjects discussed publicly and had not participated in a similar space: “Nobody had come to talk about this with us, and it’s important because many of us go to work in this way.”