Shelter Lead
Ixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico
I abruptly rose to senior staff at Hermanos en el Camino due to unforeseen geopolitics. Our refuge emerged to protect migrants transiting through Ixtepec, a region with extreme rates of poverty and violence. About 240,000 migrants per year have relied on the refuge, one of the most populated migrant shelters in Mexico, since its opening in 2007.I led our team in operations: accommodation, medical and psychological support, and legal asylum aid. In addition to overseeing the shelter, I… Show more I abruptly rose to senior staff at Hermanos en el Camino due to unforeseen geopolitics. Our refuge emerged to protect migrants transiting through Ixtepec, a region with extreme rates of poverty and violence. About 240,000 migrants per year have relied on the refuge, one of the most populated migrant shelters in Mexico, since its opening in 2007.I led our team in operations: accommodation, medical and psychological support, and legal asylum aid. In addition to overseeing the shelter, I directly managed security crises such as health emergencies and instances of domestic violence. Over my tenure, I served more than 5,000 migrants and spearheaded a groundbreaking healthcare partnership with the Catholic Medical Mission Board.The refuge and its founder, Father Alejandro Solalinde, have received international recognition including the Geuzenpenning (shared with MSF and HRW), the National Human Rights Award by President Enrique Peña Nieto, and ongoing support of OHCHR, European Union delegation in Mexico, Amnesty International, and Peace Brigades International. Show less