This story is from our May 2010 visit.  I heard about Ana from her mother, who sat sobbing before me at the improvised counseling “office” we set up in Tijuana’s poorest neighborhood, next to the city garbage dump.

Ana is 15 years old.  She has glossy black hair, and sparkling black eyes with long black lashes, through which she tends to look shyly at you when she talks.  She loves to read, draw, and cook special foods for her little sister.

Three weeks ago, on a Friday morning about 9:00, she was on her way to a job interview.  Her father has not been helping support her family– mother, 5 year old sister, and 16 year old brother– and she was hoping to get a job as a cashier at the store they shop in.

As she trudged along the road in the morning sunlight, a car suddenly pulled over and two men in masks leaped out and grabbed her by the hair.  They dragged her into the car, pushing her between them, and suddenly pressed a moist rag to her face…  When Ana woke up, she was lying beside the road in another neighborhood.  Her clothes were torn, her body was bruised, and her body had been violated.  Ana dragged herself to an aunt’s house nearby, and was taken to the police station.  The police took her report, but admitted they would take no action, because Ana had never seen the rapists’ faces, and could not identify them.

Word got out in the neighborhood that Ana had been molested.  But rather than outrage or sympathy, she was accosted with scorn and blame.  Even though she had never had a boyfriend, was known to be a modest and even prim young girl, many of the local women took the occasion to heap ridicule on Ana, a violated woman.  She was made fun of when she went out, and so she stayed in the tiny house, filled with misery.  To make matters worse, Ana had missed her period, and the prospect of a pregnancy from the terrible event filled the whole family with dread.

Her mother cried as she told me how Ana would hardly talk to her, and would not come for counseling, or an examination, to the medical site we had set up, because she would be abused and shamed.  She explained that Ana’s underwear and her only presentable clothes for job interviews had been ruined, or taken in the attack, and that she could not afford to replace them.  “Comida o ropas” (Food or clothes) was the dilemma the mother faced, inevitably deciding that feeding the family had to take precedence.

In the end, I took my translator, Francesca (a sweet, tender 23 year old volunteer) up the road to see Ana in her little home.  Ana’s tiny 5 year old sister refused to leave the room at first, alternately guarding her big sister, and looking for something to play with.  Ana was very guarded herself, although she had consented to our visit.  She showed us her room, including the photos of an older brother who had been murdered in the drug wars.  I talked to her about feelings, inviting her to express herself, but with shy smiles, Ana said very little.  However, the little she did say moved Francesca to tears.  I spoke gently to Ana, and reassured her, “If some strangers came into my bedrooom, I would find it hard to talk, too!”  I told her that if she wanted to talk later in the day, Francesca and I would be available.  And I urged her to come to the medical site, where she could be examined.

A few hours later, we saw that Ana had indeed ventured out to be see a doctor at our site.  Ana’s mother told Francesca that Ana seemed much more relaxed since our visit, and had spoken to her.  Meanwhile, Francesca–who was about the same physical size as Ana–had gone through her luggage and extracted some clean, new clothes that Ana might wear to a job interview.  She didn’t have an extra bra with her, though.  So she canvassed the other volunteers, and found one that would fit Ana.  She produced the bag containing the clothes and asked Ana’s mother to accept it for Ana.

Despite the heartbreak of the situation, I was so glad that Ana had come to the site, and touched by Francesca’s generosity.  My heart soared when I learned that Ana’s pregnancy test had come back negative.  Maybe this little girl still had a chance.

Suzanne Lake, PsyD
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
626 795  8148
2810 E. DelMar Blvd., #10A
Pasadena, Ca 91107

On Friday November 6th, the HHAB team set up shop in a building called The Dome in Colonia Grupo Mexico. Sparked by our volunteer Mariachi duo and cadre of face painters, the team serviced 509 people, mostly women and children, delivering free medical and dental care, along with free medications and laboratory testing, and donations of food, clothing, and brand new toys to the children.

Our enthusiastic volunteers re-grouped on Saturday November 7th to set up another free clinic in Colonia Obrera amidst a shanty town near the Tijuana dump. This time our team was joined by a team from KABC-TV news in Los Angeles, who reported on our team’s weekend trip. Another 481 people received services during Saturday’s clinic, for a two day total of 990 people served.

The November weekend was typical of the all-volunteer trips the organization runs every three months. This trip marked the end of Dr. John Rodarte’s seven year tenure as President of HHAB. The organization now looks forward to continuing their mission under the guidance of Dr. Tony Monares.

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To donate by checks or money orders send to:

Healing Hearts Across Borders (HHAB)
1243 S. Eastman Ave
L.A. California 90023

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For any questions please contact:

Tony Monares, M.D.
President
(323) 273-6271

We are a tax-exempt 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation.

At this site, we set up our clinic in a large concrete dome (known as “La Bola” by the residents), next to a church under construction. While patients wait their turn to see a doctor or the dentist, stray dogs loiter, hoping to steal scraps from someone’s unattended lunch.

While the paved streets and sturdier construction suggest that this community has more resources than Colonia Obrera, it is clear that the need is still there, especially for a reliable source of ongoing health care. On each HHAB visit, patients eagerly inquire when we will return. In a short period of time, we have already established a regular presence that the community can count on, and their gratitude and enthusiasm are evident.

As at Colonia Obrera, we are currently working to become a more constant and stable entity within this community, in order to help the residents access the ongoing care they need.

Colonia Obrera, affectionately known as “The Dump Site,” houses some of the neediest families in the city. At first glance you see an average community of people going about their daily activities. Upon closer inspection, you see people grateful to earn a humble living from what the dumpsite provides. Some residents work at the dump, half of these as municipal employees, half as independent trash sifters gleaning items of value from the trash. Others in the community work as taxi drivers, cooks, roofers, or in the maquiladoras (factories) in and around Tijuana .

The city dwellers are industrious, as the homes in this community are primarily self-constructed by the inhabitants from whatever raw materials they can find or can afford to purchase. By tapping electrical wire into the poles overhead, this community harvests electricity from existing power poles running through the area. The subtle hint of burning rubber that lingers in the air is the by-product of harmful carbon dioxide intermingled with non-biodegradable waste such as tires, car batteries, and other refuse that make it into the dump for disposal.

With the primary focus for the people on survival, preventative health care is an afterthought. Because these people barely earn enough to feed their families, basic but essential medications such as inhalants, fever reducers, and aspirin are considered luxury rather than necessity. Many of the medical conditions encountered by our physicians could be counterbalanced by better basic preventative care.

The strong spirit of these wonderful people shines bright as the sun, despite the lack of financial resources experienced by this community. Each HHAB visit is greeted with enthusiasm and joy. You would never know they needed anything from their lovely demeanor.

February 4-6, 2010
May 6-8, 2010
August 5-7, 2010
November 11-13, 2010

Trip dates include departure on Thursday evening via rental bus or van, and return to the U.S. on Saturday night. For more trip information, please see the Volunteers section.

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