We continue to learn through our experience, talking with people living in the colonias, and talking with officials, business owners, hospital staff, school directors and teachers. Every visit seems to be a new learning experience.
At least one of our board members cross the border every day. Bob crosses the border several times each month and walks the streets of the poor. Every crossing and walk is a learning experience.
While there are few absolutes, we've learned a lot since 2002. Here you will find our most recent opinions and observations. We always seek confirmation from four independent sources before we suggest something is true.
Safety
Paper Houses temporarily suspended Mission Trips into Acuna because of the confirmed violence caused by the recent drug-cartel actions.
We continue to enter Acuna, but only at the main bridge. The second bridge near the dam is isolated and help is not readily available should there be a problem.
Remain aware that the cartels have surveilance at entry points. We make certain that our vehicles are clearly marked so as not to be mistaken for anything other than a charity worker's vehicle.
Keeping doors locked and windows secrure and traveling with more than one person improves safety.
Vehicles are in good working order with a full tank of gas.
Take care of charity business and leave. Because of the possibility of sudden violence, avoid resteraunts and places where rival gang members may meet.
Remember that there is simply no way to know every place where a gang member lives and this means tht sudden violence can errupt anywhere.
Entering Mexico at the Border of Acuña
The people and officials believe that the law exists to serve the people. They view the law as somewhat flexible. This is why sometimes the border officials will waive the duty tax and import procedures and other times they require fees, taxes and procedures be followed. It is a matter of human judgment.
For example, we sometimes are told to pay import fees when we bring medical supplies and other times we are not required to pay. This is not bribery. The inspectors are allowed some flexibility.
We abide by the laws and customs. We declare items as the law requires and abide by the decision of the inspectors. We do not hide items or ignore the law.
Importing used clothing into Mexico is illegal.
Adopting children in Mexico is a complicated process and is not something we can facilitate. Most children that live in shelters are not orphans. These children have parents or relatives that for a variety of reasons cannot care for them.
These shelters provide children with food, clothing and shelter. Most of the children are not orphans, but come from impoverished backgrounds. Some have parents that simply cannot afford to care for them. Some have parents in prison. Some are physically or mentally challenged. It is not unusual for some of these children to remain in a shelter until they are 17 years of age.
Not all of these shelters are good places. Some do a good job, but are sponsored by churches that received many times the amount of money needed to run the shelter. (The churches keep the extra money).
Paper Houses supports only those shelters that are run honestly and where there is true need. We review monthly receipts, frequently make unannounced visits to the shelter, and survey neighbors, businesses and churches in the area to determine that the shelters continue to treat the children well and operate in an honest fashion.
Paper Houses remains free from political entanglements. Recently, we were told by another charity that Acuña is run by the communist party and this is not true. While there is a Mexican Communist Party (Partido Comunista de México) it has never been a power in Acuña. In fact, this party is no more powerful than the communist party in the United States.
What happens in many small border charities is that they have very limited contacts and believe what they are told. It is common for members of political parties to accuse the opposition of being communist. This is similar to the accusation that the Democrat Party in the United States is the socialist party.
We've declined invitations to appear with various politicians at press conferences because it is common for politicians to suggest that they are responsible for the good work we do in Acuña.
Acuña, like all of Mexico, is predominately Catholic. We provide assistance to projects that have no requirement to participate in a service or that the people belong to a particular church. We simply help those in need without regard to religion or politics.
The Zeta Cartel controls Acuña and is uncontested by rival cartels. There have been no reports of gunfights in Acuña and no reports of any mission group encountering problems. We bring no money into Mexico and remain a very small charity. We avoid the nightclubs and places where safety could be an issue.
The closest city to experience significant violence is Piedras Negras, a one-hour drive from Acuña.
None of our members or mission participants carry cash or jewelry. Our mission groups are only taken to safe areas where we are well known. We always have bilingual people with us on our mission trips and spend the night in places know to be very safe.
Every police officer participating in our mission trips since 2002 have remarked that the places we walk in Acuña seem safer than their hometowns. The local police often stop and chat with us and always ask if there is anything they can do to help. In 2008, we hosted a fiesta for children that spilled into the street. We called the police and asked for assistance to assure safety. Four officers were detailed to close off the street, direct traffic and help us with any problems. We experienced no problems and found the officers to be appreciative of what we were doing for the children of Acuña.
Medical Insurance
Most employers are required to provide medical coverage to workers and their families. This insurance is called Seguro and is accepted at a large number of hospitals. The coverage does not include medicine. Our observation is that most people receive good care with the Seguro insurance.
The people sometimes call the health coverage for unemployed Mexicans, 'Little Seguro' and these people must go to the public hospitals. On occasion, we've paid for surgery at private hospitals because the surgery at the public hospitals was worthless. Children that could not walk received surgery at the public hospital that puzzled the private doctors. In one instance a child's hip was operated on at a public hospital and the child needed surgery on his leg. On other occasions we found the treatment for certain situations in the public hospital was the same as that available in a private hospital.
Because doctors from private hospitals do volunteer work at the public hospitals, some Mexican people tell us that the service for the poor is the same as for those in the working class. What they fail to see is that most of the poor are not treated by these volunteer doctors. We've met with patients and doctors at the public, Seguro, and private hospitals and met wonderful doctors and nurses at all three types of hospitals. However, the equipment in many public hospitals is very old or lacking.
Case in Point
We were at a public hospital and were told about two patients with severe head and neck injuries in need of a Cat Scan (CT). The public hospital has no CT machine and we were asked if we would pay for the service at a nearby private hospital. We agreed and were shocked when the hospital explained that they would transport these two patients in a staff member's pick-up truck. The hospital does not have access to an ambulance for transportation and this is not something that the fire department would normally do. A city ambulance coincidentally arrived with a patient and we convinced them to bend the rules and transport these people to and from the private hospital.
Because many poor people need expensive drugs to cure an infection, doctors seem to only prescribe pain medication. The people often do not understand that the medicine only relieves the paid, and do not understand why the medicine does not cure the problem. Compounding the problem, is that they often use polluted water to wash wounds.
Case in Point
A young boy name Josuea stepped on a nail and severely punctured his foot. Although his mother works, she is very poor. She delayed taking Josuea to the doctor until the wound was black with infection. The doctor prescribed medicine, but the situation continued to worsen. We heard about a young boy with a serious foot problem and visited the family. A pharmacist told us that the medicine being used was only a 'pain reliever' and would not cure a serious infection. We took the child to a private hospital where Dr. De La Fuentas examined the child. The stench from the open would was frightening. The doctor explained that in a few more weeks it would be necessary to amputate Josuea foot.He said that surgery could save the foot, but it must happen quickly. A second doctor concurred.
Because he was also malnourished, the doctors said it would be necessary to keep him at the hospital to 'build up his strength' before and surgery. Paper Houses used your donations and today Josuea walks and runs like other children.