The rural Mexican village of San Antonio Juanacaxtle, 45 minutes south-east of Guadalajara by car, seems to have been lost in time. One-story brick and mortar houses are organized in clusters amid large agricultural fields where people plant agave and maize. Motor vehicles are few, and it is not uncommon to see people ride on horseback down the narrow cobblestone streets. To obtain government and other services most residents must travel to one of the larger surrounding towns.
Until recently, the people of San Antonio and the nearby towns subsisted almost exclusively on agriculture. But over the last few decades, a number of multinational companies have set up shop in the area. This has been a mixed blessing for the people. Yes, the companies provide jobs, albeit not very well paying ones. But they have nevertheless given the local economy a boost. People have a little extra cash in their pockets.
To attract these companies and ensure that they continue providing jobs, the authorities have turned a blind eye to the environmental degradation they are causing from dumping untreated waste in the local rivers and streams. The switch to an industrial economy has also disrupted the social order. Whereas before young people in the area tended to remain in school or work on the family farm, today they abandon school at a young age to get a job in a local factory. Ready cash has given rise to big city problems like substance abuse and addiction. The sudden abandonment of the traditional way of life has also given rise to personal conflicts within families.
Father Abishu Morke Barisso, Consolata Missionary, has been working and living in San Antonio for the past five years. He has a plan to help support young people in San Antonio, and hopefully prevent them from adopting undesirable habits that lead to a destructive lifestyle. Recently, a local benefactor donated a plot of land to the Consolatas. Father Abishu would like to use it to build a youth center. This would provide young people in the area with the ideal setting to gather and discuss their problems – a place to turn to if and when things start to go awry. The plan also calls for organizing recreational activities and workshops to help these youths grow as independent and confident adults.
The total cost of the construction of the meeting center is $17,000. Father Abishu and the Consolata missionaries in the area are certain they can raise some of the money on their own. But they need help to raise the remainder and bring this worthwhile project to fruition. A safe haven to turn to can make the difference between going astray and staying on the right path. Can you help? The young people of San Antonio Juanacaxtle and neighboring towns are counting on your generous support.
Fr. Paolo Fedrigoni, Consolata Missionary, and Domenic Cusmano
Coordinators of Projects and Campaigns