Casa Canada is Complete!

YMCA Casa Canada for Migrant Youth

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.

After almost seven months of paper work, negotiation and construction work, the YMCA Casa Canada for Migrant Youth has been concluded.

On March 23, 2011, the construction company concluded the details on the construction and presented the final product, which was reviewed carefully by the YMCA Architect Lucia Lopez and Program Coordinator Uriel Gonzalez.

A Message from Uruguay

The International Working Group was delighted to receive the update below from the YMCA of San Jose.


San José, May 2011

At: YMCA-YWCA of WINNIPEG

Dear Friends:

We are pleased to share with you what we have done with what you sent us with such love and great effort.

Regarding the equipment that we received together with Unidad Portones from the YMCA of Montevideo, we were able to build a fitness room to be used by our members. The equipment has revitalized it and allowed us to be a reference on the subject in our city.

Furthermore, you sent us five thounsand Canadian dollars (C$5.000) which were exactly four thousand eight hundred and one dollars with fifteen American Dollars (USD 4.801,15). Part of the money was used for the ‘Club de Niños La Casita’ Summer Camp. Please see the report and pictures attached.

There is still some money we have not spent, which is intended to supplement the cost of building an additional room for La Casita. This room will allow us to improve the care we provide today for both the Kids Club and the Youth Center. A donation from another organization called Reaching-U will also be used in this sense. This organization is integrated by Uruguayans who lived or are currently living in the United States. Works will begin in June, and we will be sending photos of what was done once it is finished. It is important to point out that without your support none of this would have been possible.

We will always be grateful for your generosity. Your thoughts and actions have enabled us to continue to strengthen our work.

We hope to continue along this path of cooperation and would like you to visit us whenever you find it convenient.

Please receive the fraternal greetings on behalf of all here in ACJ San José

Carla Ausán Elizalde Germán Hernández
Directora General Presidente


Germán Hernández
Directora General Presidente
 
 

International Partnerships

Much has been and continues to happen in the Y’s International Programs.

Hi, I am the new International Liaison for YMCAYWCA of Winnipeg and would like to share with you some of the exciting activities that are underway.

First, we have just renewed our commitment to partner with the Uruguay Y. Part of our commitment is to provide financial support to the Children and Youth Centre in San Jose, one of the more economically distressed centers in Uruguay. Our partnership with the Uruguay Y goes back over 35 years. It has involved both financial support and many youth and adult, staff and volunteer exchanges over the years. In addition, we are supporting a new Y in Ciudad de la Costa, a coastal town that has an growing population of young families needing the services the Y offers. In 2009, we sent a delegation to the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Uruguyan YMCA. What a Celebration it was!!! As well, the Winnipeg Y and the Guelph Y sent a shipment of used fitness equipment that greatly enhanced both one of the branch Ys in Montevideo as well as in San Jose.

Our support continues for the Migrant Youth Casa in Tijuana, Mexico. The casa provides a safe haven for children and youth who have unsuccessfully attempted to cross the Mexico-US border. Prior to the establishment of the Casa, these young people were released back onto the very dangerous streets of Tijuana where they would often fall prey to the drug lords and prostitution rings. The Casa provides food and lodging, counseling and compassion, and assistance in reunification with family members in South America.

Photo of Casa Canada during construction.
For more photos, visit our facebook page.

The success of the Tijuana Casa laid the groundwork for the plan to build another casa in Juarez, one of the most dangerous border towns in Mexico. This prompted our CEO to put out a call to the other YMCAs and YMCA-YWCAs in the Prairie region, and the Guelph Y, to participate in a capital campaign to raise the funds to build the Casa Canada in Juarez. Construction is now nearly complete and the doors will soon be opening!

Our ability to participate in International Partnerships has been greatly enhanced by our partnerships with other Canadian Ys. The Regina YMCA and YMCA-YWCA of Guelph have shared in our partnerships with both Mexico and Uruguay over the past years. Also, in the past two years the Winnipeg Y has provided financial support to a partnership between the Vancouver YWCA and YWCA Russia in Moscow that provides programming and family counseling to women, girls and their families. This year the Winnipeg Y will take a broader approach and direct its financial contributions to YWCA Canada’s international efforts.

The Winnipeg Y is also contributing to the Calgary YMCA’s partnership with the Ukraine YMCA both at the National and community level. The Ukraine Y provides much needed recreational and leadership development programming to children and youth. Amazingly, the Y is in 10 communities across the Ukraine and fully run by very dedicated volunteers other than the 4 paid national Y staff. Though the Ukraine Y is still in its infancy, it has made amazing strides and accomplishments in offering opportunities for recreation, artist development and leadership development for children and youth.

The Winnipeg Y International Working Group reconvened this September and will have met five times by the end of June. We are working hard to focus our energies and determine our direction, and decide the initiatives we want to focus on. The committee is responsible for guiding our Peace Week Initiatives, maintaining a presence in our Branch Ys on an ongoing basis, managing the Winnipeg Y International Blog and managing our relationship with Manitoba Council for International Cooperation, an educational and funding agency. We are also exploring ways that we can increase our impact through opportunities to educate Y members and members of the Winnipeg community on becoming Global Citizens and increase awareness to international issues.

Please be sure to take a look at the links to further information about International Development initiatives by other Ys and organizations.


Pamela Wright
International Liason
Board of Directors, Former Chair
YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg

Comida for Casa a success!

The South Leadership Program is pleased to announce that this year’s international fundraiser on February 19th 2011, Comida for Casa, was a great success with 29 participants raising over $2000!

Leadership participants fasted for 24 hours to raise money and awareness for the YMCA Casa Program in Mexico. As the Leaders discovered in the weeks before the famine, the situation in Mexico’s northern border is in a state of crisis with drugs, police corruption and social issues that come along with constant migration of people including many vulnerable youth. The leadership participants related to these young people and the dangerous struggle many of them feel they need to undertake in order to provide for themselves and their families. The Leaders learned about the role Casa YMCA’s have and the services they provide to youth just like them!

The Leaders began their famine at 10:00am on Saturday, February 19th and came to the YMCA South Branch for a night of activities! They started their evening out with a presentation by Mary Moore, Youth Program Coordinator and past Mano a Mano Youth Summit participant. To many, the presentation brought to light the issues that are often left out of the commercial image of Mexico. As Katie Clark, LIT and Comida for Casa participant, reflected "after seeing the presentation, I was surprised by the living conditions- when you think of Mexico, you think of a tourist resort. I didn't really know how poor some of the living conditions were and was surprised by the fact that they have so much military around." The presentation also explained the struggle of the average migrant: "One part of the presentation that surprised me was how lots of things that happened to these people would be a horrifying experience for us, but are daily life for them" stated Drew Register, Leader.

Upon completion of the presentation, the youth played gym games and a variation of the game “Quest” wherein participants were given the status of either “migrant” or “settled” and were tasked with acquiring resources in order to cross the border. Advisors were challenges to migration and would complicate or make the journey to cross even more frustrating. Drew Register noted that Quest “was added perspective to the conditions in Mexico and the struggle of people trying to attain resources." After a debrief of the game, participants made post card art for the youth who use Casa followed by some free time with board games, vids, and even piñatas! Finally, the participants settled in for the night to get some much needed rest for the pancake breakfast in the morning.

The Comida for Casa group broke their fast at 10:00am on Sunday, February 20th in the company of many members and family who had come to share in the festivities of the Pancake Breakfast. The breakfast fundraised over $200, making the total money raised $2200 for Casa YMCAs!

"The CASA YMCAs will really appreciate this money. With all of the gang violence in Mexico, people need CASA more than ever" said Riley Proulx.

This Comida for Casa and the pancake breakfast would not have been possible without the support of all donors, families and the driving force behind the event: the South Branch Leadership Program participants AND advisors! A special thanks to the South Child Care centre for their gracious donation of space, the South maintenance crew who demonstrated great patience in cleaning around us, and all the staff, volunteers and families who helped with pancake duty!

Submitted by Mary Moore

South Y Youth Program Coordinator

Member, International Working Group

PANCAKES FOR PEACE!

International Development Week

FEBRUARAY 6-12, 2011

International Development Week gives Canadians a chance to:
•Learn more about Canada's role in international development and the important contribution of many Canadians in developing countries
•Learn more about life in developing countries
•Find out how they can become active global citizens and get involved in international development


Please visit MCIC's website to learn how 8 Manitobans are making a difference in the world, and find out what YOU can do to contribute to making our planet more peaceful!

CELEBRATING CASA
In the midst of one of the bloodiest times in Mexico, where the drug wars of Mexican Cartels have left hundreds dead and terrorized citizens in one of North America’s poorest country, YMCA CASA remains a safe place for youth.

WHAT IS CASA?
Every year, thousands of youth try to enter the United States illegally by crossing the Mexico-US border. Once caught, they are brought back to the border and placed in a detention centre where they are interviewed and re-patriated. Without YMCA Homes like Casa, these youth would then be released onto the streets to fend for themselves. Without food or money, they are released into border towns such as Tijuana. With high violent crime, drug and prostitution rates, these youth were extremely vulnerable.

Since 1991 they have had a safe place to go. CASA is recognized as a lead provider of services to migrant youth, offering “basic food and shelter, psychosocial counselling, medical and social referral services and family reunification’. (YMCA HOMES FOR MIGRANT YOUTH, 2008).

Each home is managed by a resident host-family, attending to the migrant youths’ basic needs. Once they are settled in the Home, YMCA social workers begin a dialogue that will hopefully lead to reunifying the youths with their families, helping them to pursue healthier and safer life choices.

To date, over 50,000 young people have been helped by the CASA program.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
For over 10 years the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg has been a partner in support of the CASA program.

Individuals can donate to the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg’s Strong Kids Campaign and designate their donation to the International Fund.

100% of donations received are used to support YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg’s International Partnerships.

PEACE MEDAL RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

The Peace Medal is a reminder that it is possible to build a more peaceful world, one step at a time, and that everyone can be engaged in these efforts.

Each year the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg’s International Working Group, along with YMCA’s across Canada, sends out a call for nominations for this prestigious award. Every year the nominees continue to impress, and it is never an easy decision for those who select the recipients. 2010 again proved to be a year of tough deliberations.

The groups below stood out for their efforts, both at home and abroad, and we are pleased to recognize their efforts and award them the 2010 Youth Peace Medal.

TANZANIA 2010

The students of Kildonan-East Collegiate’s Tanzania 2010 project were recognized d

ue to their “dedication to the construction of water holding tanks, drinking and hand washing stations, private pit latrines for girls, and a hygiene and water management education program.” The group has been together for four years to fundraise for the project in East Africa, working within the broader framework of the NGO Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief. Aside from fundraising they have learned about global issues such as food security, gender equality, and basic human rights and they have shared this knowledge with their community. As a direct result of their activities, children at Qaru Lambo and Gilala schools in Tanzania, whose students previously drank from sloughs and missed a lot of school as a result of sickness, now have year round access to fresh drinking water for the next thirty years.

GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE

The Gay Straight Alliance of Westwood Collegiate was chosen for “their dedication to creating a welcoming, safe and respectful school as ambassadors of acceptance for others.” Functioning for two years in Westwood Collegiate the GSA has proved popular amongst students due to its strong message of acceptance, human rights, safety, peace and harmony. They work tirelessly to fulfill their vision of “A school where everyone is welcome, safe and respected.” They hosted several events including a rainbow sticker drive for Gay Pride week, creating information pamphlets advocating for gay rights, created a teacher education package for “How to Teach Acceptance”, and they inspired 90% of the student body to wear purple on October 20, 2010 to send the message to bring an end to homophobic physical and emotional abuse, amongst many additional accomplishments. They have also helped other GSA groups form throughout the division and city. Their nominator stated that she has seen a change in the school since the group was formed – the atmosphere at the school is happier and more accepting and tolerant. In particular, the peace medal review committee appreciated the positive, inclusive approach taken by the group to build understanding and commitment among students and teachers.