TIJUANA – Every day, more than 1,500 people meet at the Desayunador Salesiano "Padre Chava", a soup kitchen for homeless people and deportees in Downtown Tijuana, just a few steps from the Avenida Internacional and the river canal.

The project, which started back in 2012, is named after its founder, Salvador Romo Gutiérrez (RIP). Romo, a priest member of the Salesians Catholic group, started a multifunctional space where immigrants, deportees and homeless people living in Downtown TJ could get help.

The place is currently being run under priest Jesús María Arambarri, who claims that in recent months, the number of people looking for a breakfast meal or help, has increased.

The dining room offers food, restrooms, clothes, haircuts and immigration information and assistance. Photo: Daniel Esparza / San Diego Red

A long line of people waiting to be fed begins to form very early in the morning. Breakfast is served around 7 a.m. y they start letting in groups of six to have a better control of the tables being used.

Photo: Daniel Esparza / San Diego Red

While the visitors eat, they start announcing over the PA the multiple workshops that are about to start, once everyone finishes eating, which is normally around 10:30 a.m. These workshops are known as El son que migra (The sound that migrates). These strive to teach a profession free of charge, for anyone who goes there looking for food and attend his or her basic needs, so that they can start paying for their personal expenses through arts and crafts.

Photo: Daniel Esparza / San Diego Red

This immigrant sanctuary has its workshops located just next to the dining room, where they teach immigrants, deportees and the homeless to create art like ceramic figures or learn to play an instrument related to the traditional Mexican folklore music.

Photo: Daniel Esparza / San Diego Red

El son que migra is a Culturas Populares initiative, which is a Mexican federal program that is currently headed by Rodolfo Pinedo. He claims all the arts and crafts and instrument playing goes hand in hand with the immigrant's wellness.

"The idea is for the immigrants to sell the mugs they make here, to start making a living out of it and at the same time, promote the project that takes place right next to the dining room, as well as making some cash on the side as musicians", stated Pinedo.

Photo: Daniel Esparza / San Diego Red

The instruments are given for free to the ones with an interest in it, among those are the jarana, the guitarra de golpe, the violin, the harp, the requinto jarocho and other string instruments commonly used in popular folkloric Mexican music.

The current group is formed by less than 10 people and the only workshop currently operating is the arts and crafts one, but they expect more people wanting to learn new things once people start hearing about the project.

Photo: Daniel Esparza / San Diego Red

Even though the project was a total success last year, with project members presenting themselves in various parts of Mexico, Pinedo says other factors need to be taken into account, like the inconsistent migrant flow coming our way, which is why they are currently promoting the Mexican music workshops before starting.

"They are ghost groups, You can have 10 students one day and 5 the next. What needs to be done? Bring the immigrant to us, tell him or her that they can have a source of income here, to come check it out and help us promote it. We've been on the same situation last year.", stated Pinedo.

For now, the workshops will be open until May, depending on the response they get from the community.

Photo: Daniel Esparza / San Diego Red

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oscar.montoya@sandiegored.com

Translated by: edgar.martinez@sandiegored.com