Mexico Volunteer Locations: Tijuana

We are no longer sending volunteers to programs in Tijuana and are concentrating our attention on our other Mexican programs in Xalapa and San Isidro Arenal.

On the border to the US and just across from San Diego, Tijuana is the World's most visited border city. Tijuana's closeness to the US creates many social problems. People come from all over Mexico to try to get to the US and get stuck, often in very vulnerable situations.

Volunteer Programs in Tijuana:

Travel to Teach works with various projects in and around Tijuana, providing a wide range of volunteer programs.

Teaching, Social Work and Rehabilitation Center's

Cread
CREAD is a rehabilitation center that takes both males and females. We are located in Fracc, El Rubi, where they house around 130 patients. There are many CREAD rehabs around the city, however T2T choose to work with the Fracc center as it has little external funding. We lend a hand by teaching English and computers in the hope that once they leave the Center they can use these skills to find work.

El Mezon
Is a female only rehabilitation center and has one of the best programs in the country. Located in Col. Francisco Villa it houses around 100 women. The girls here go to daily therapy and along with other activities they learn computers, English and different crafts. Mezon also has a small gym but no instructors!!! …so if you can teach an aerobics, dance or weight class let us know!

Centro comunitario "La Esperanza"
While scouting for programs to work with we ran into Carmen Gaxiola, a truly inspiring woman who founded Centro Comunitario "La Esperanza". This Center is in a Mixteco Settlement. The Mixtecos are an ethnic group from Oaxaca that have been migrating for years in search of a better life for their families They are known as very hard working and bright people, but they tend to isolate themselves from non-Mixteco people.

Carmen has managed to earn their trust through out the many years that she has been working in this community. She has not only founded the Community Center where they teach; computers, sowing, pottery, hair styling, and English (we help with the English part), but she has also started a Montessori Kindergarten, half of the children that go to this school are Mixteco, so the children also receive instruction in their native language.

Carmen has invited our T2T volunteers to also help in the kindergarten teaching the kids different languages, so if you like working with kids and speak a language other than Spanish and English you are more than welcome to help out Carmen and the Mixteco children!

Centro integral para la ninez
This Center works with the rehabilitation and re-adaptation of young people under the age of 18, most of them are migrants that have been deported by the US or children that live in the streets of Tijuana.

Manuel Moreno is in charge of this, which is located in Zona Rio where it permanently houses around 14 children ranging from the ages of 7 to 17. Here they not only provide the children with food and housing but they also receive medical and psychological treatment along with their regular counselling. The Center receives 3 to 5 children daily which they either take back to their homes, by trying to locate their family members in the US or sending them to their relatives in other parts of Mexico. Our T2T volunteers teach English and Computers depending on the need of the Center.

Corredor bilateral
-CORREDOR BILATERAL works with migrants, street children, abused children and provides attention to prostitutes.

Schools
We work in various Primary Schools around the city teaching English to children between the ages of 6 and 12.

Our volunteers also work in a School for children with Down Syndrome, here we teach them English and help the staff with the children.Artistica
Is a Cultural Center in one of Tijuana's Colonias, all sort of arts are taught in this school, and our volunteers help by teaching English to the community. If you know any type of dance, martial art, play any instrument or paint. You can also give a work shop or a short course.

HIV Programs

Procabi
Is a bi-national organization that works with HIV+ patients. They give them medical and dental care and also make medication available to them. They also help with re-integration into society by promoting various physical, social, and cultural activities.

Their offices are located in Zona Rio where they give different classes and shops, all of the personnel that works in PROCABI are volunteers, this includes psychologists, receptionists, therapists and even the janitors. Procabi welcomes all types of volunteer work form teaching English and Computers to helping distribute condoms and food!

Afabi
-AFABI works with the relatives and friends of the HIV patients, this is where the family members receive HIV awareness, training and psychological counselling so they may easier adapt to their new situation and know how to take care of their loved ones.

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