Where We Work

The Tijuana "colonias", or neighborhoods, where we make the dream of dignified home ownership come true.

4,148

The Esperanza Impact

See how Esperanza has been changing lives for 34 years and counting...

1,034

Homes Built

Since 1990

51

Groups

in 2019

955

Volunteers

in 2019

3,701

Volunteer Days

in the community in 2019

The True Impact of Community Development

Fundación Esperanza de México’s (FEM’s) program involves so much more than houses. Through a
comprehensive evaluation completed in December of 2012, FEM learned that participants benefited
from improved friendships, health, values and more. Here are their responses:

The Most Important Benefit Gained from Participating in FEM’s Program

Las Chip Bag Ladies

“Las Chip Bag Ladies” is a collective of four women, and an example of how Esperanza’s impact extends beyond simply building homes.  Maru, Nico, Oli, and Francis first met during their weekly Esperanza community savings group meetings. Their goal was to save money to build a safe and dignified home, what they built extended far beyond this…

In 2004, Esperanza offered a workshop teaching them to make cool purses out of discarded chip bags and they loved it. Soon Esperanza Volunteers from all over the United States were requesting their creations. Volunteers would save and collect the discarded chip bags and The Chip Bag Ladies would make custom purses upon request. They each use their earnings to pay school fees for their children.

Since starting the group, they have been invited to teach and share their story all over Baja California and other states of Mexico. In 2012 they traveled to the state of Sonora to lead a 2 week workshop with 35 women. They are regularly invited to environmental fairs and Tijuana schools to lead workshops about recycling for kids.

Oli says that her favorite part of teaching is “seeing how excited the community gets when they realize that can transform their trash”, and when she “sees people excited to pick up trash in their neighborhoods”. She says her favorite part of being part of the collective is that it allows her to earn money for herself while working from her Esperanza home with friends.

In the future, Las Chip Bag Ladies hope to continue traveling, teaching, and creating.

Want to support Las Chip Bag Ladies?
*Buy a cool purse for yourself and a friend!
*Collect your used coffee & chip bags and drop them off at Posada Esperanza or Desk Hub!

Annual Report

Learn more about the true community impact of Fundación Esperanza de Mexico in the 2016 Annual Report.