• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
  • WORLD DEMOCRACY
  • POLITICAL ART
  • more
    • election technology
    • money politics
    • political dissidents
    • THIRD PARTY
      • third party central
      • green party
      • justice party
      • libertarian party
    • voting methods
  • DC INFO
    • author central
    • about
    • advertise with DC
    • contact
    • privacy policy

Democracy Chronicles

Esperanza International: A Closer Look at Development

by Amelia Kent - November 23, 2012

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin
Esperanza International Africans Line up For Water With Jugs
Across the world, the need is dire

by Amelia Kent

Esperanza International is a nonprofit organization that changes lives. Through promoting development in low-income communities in Tijuana, Mexico, Esperanza empowers people to enroll in programs that will increase their quality of living and overall productivity. Programs like this are a necessity in the developing world and play an integral role in a community’s ability to be constructive, cohesive, and self sustainable.

Esperanza International is well respected across the globe
Esperanza International is well respected across the globe

In the spring of 2010 I was able to witness Esperanza International’s programs firsthand by serving with them as a volunteer. Our group from Seattle University was able to work side by side with three different families enrolled in the Esperanza building program. Not only were we able to learn about the Mexican culture while getting our hands dirty building houses, Esperanza also encouraged us to reflect deeper on the U.S.-Mexico border relationship; examining the differences in privilege, stereotypes, cultural norms, and systemic poverty that influence our political and personal views of the Mexican people and the country as a whole.

What makes Esperanza International so effective as a development organization is their ability to foster community development through self-help programs. Instead of entering a community and making authoritative decisions, Esperanza works directly with families for “decision-making, direction, and administration of loan funds as well as in the physical work of block-making for their home construction”. Taking the time to learn about an area and asking many individuals what they believe the local people would benefit from is an essential part of this process. This enables the client to be involved in the change process, allowing them to feel in control of their personal situation, which empowers them to make meaningful life changes toward a better future.

Esperanza also focuses on environmental sustainability. In Tijuana it is vitally important that every new structure is built with the environment in mind. “An Esperanza house is a solid, long-lasting structure that is fire resistant and stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter” according to the Esperanza website. This design will keep the family comfortable and prevent wasting any energy or income on regulating the temperature of the home. As an international organization, Esperanza also assists communities affected by toxic contamination and advocates for the implementation of international reform in environmental policy. They even support a specific “educational curricula on the multifaceted consequences of natural resource extraction and contamination”. Esperanza recognizes that knowledge is power and they work to educate families to protect themselves from potential health risks.

Finally, Esperanza International is known for their commitment to community with healthy social interaction and constituent involvement. Each group that participates in the Esperanza building program becomes a long-term contributor to the overall growth of the area. Once a participant has received assistance from Esperanza in building a home for their family, they are expected to assist others in the community. The nonprofit has worked to develop community centers and small business programs. They have also developed community outreach programs focusing on children’s and women’s health. Social workers provide family counseling services along with financial consultation. They develop a bond with the families in order to fully understand their situations and purposefully advocate for their needs. This process is essential in order to liberate an oppressed population that is experiencing extreme poverty.

Esperanza International sets a great example of social awareness and development leadership. We can only hope that fellow professionals working in international development can utilize many of the effective practices implemented by this organization. Esperanza is creating a community that fosters hope, compassion, and success, while simultaneously always reminding their participants that they are not only members of their immediate locality but also dedicated members of the worldly community.

Esperanza International References

Khuu, A. (2009, November). Esperanza international a unique non-profit. Retrieved from http://www.esperanzainternational.org

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin

Filed Under: DC Authors Tagged With: Education, Mexico, Philippines, Women Voting Rights

About Amelia Kent

Amelia Kent has a degree in social work from Seattle University and has served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cebu City, Philippines. Checkout the rest of our international team of authors as well. Together, they help cover free and fair elections on every continent with a focus on election reform in the United States.

Some highlighted Democracy Chronicles topics

Africa American Corruption American Local Elections American State Elections Asia Capitalism and Big Business Celebrity Politics China Democracy Charity Democracy Protests Democrats Dictatorships Education Election History Election Methods Election Security Election Transparency Europe Internet and Democracy Journalism and Free Speech Middle East Minority Voting Rights Money Politics New York City and State Elections Political Artwork Political Dissidents Political Lobbying Redistricting Republicans Russia Socialism and Labor Social Media and Democracy South America Spying and Privacy Supreme Court Third Party Voter Access Voter ID Voter Registration Voter Suppression Voter Turnout Voting Technology Women Voting Rights Worldwide Worldwide Corruption

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anne Von Stubbe says

    November 28, 2012 at 11:41 pm

    I couldn’t be better informed without Amelia’s firsthand experiences and the implementation of her knowledge and thoughtful caring and giving of herself with the choices she makes. She is a force for the good of the world and I can only hope she finds herself impacting leaders as she becomes one. Follow this girl and her progress.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Home | DC AUTHORS | Esperanza International: A Closer Look at Development

Primary Sidebar

Advertise button

A Dangerous Reprise Of American Exceptionalism In Ukraine

By Jamie Lampidis May 15, 2022

The stakes are too high to cave into Putin’s phantasmatic imperial play, and too high to believe that this war can be won by arming Ukrainians.

On The Coming End Of Roe v. Wade

By Peter J. Dellolio May 11, 2022

Anyone who says that the evolution of law has nothing to do with politics is either very corrupt or very stupid. Laws evolved through the centuries.

democracy chronicles newsletter

DC AUTHORS

Goodbye Roe v. Wade, Goodbye Rule Of Law

By Andrew Straw May 5, 2022

Congress should impeach judges who act like that because it is not good behavior, and they were asked not to act that way when they were confirmed.

PODCAST: Debating The Future Of Debates

By Jenna Spinelle May 4, 2022

We love a good debate — and have certainly had plenty of them on this show. But how effective are they in today’s media and political landscape?

What “Pro-Palestine” Student Groups Get Wrong

By David Anderson, J.D. May 3, 2022

Back then – as now – this fit into a “colonialist” narrative of European Jews oppressing Arabs – an easy, eye pleasing but intellectually lazy fit.

Examining Government As A “Necessary Evil”

By Gary Berton April 29, 2022

Thomas Paine defines government as separate from society, and indeed if society functioned perfectly there would be no need for government.

Ukrainian And Polish History: Fighting The Empires

By Maxim Sidorenko April 26, 2022

On February 24th, Russia started an unprovoked war against Ukraine. It has become one more attempt of the empire to demolish the Ukrainian state.

PODCAST: What Student Debt Says About Democratic Institutions

By Jenna Spinelle April 26, 2022

In a new book, Josh Mitchell draws alarming parallels to the housing crisis, showing the catastrophic consequences student debt has had on families.

Aging White Men Who Commit Voter Fraud Have Nothing To Fear

By Steve Schneider April 22, 2022

The sentences stand in contrast with the actions of the Governor who recently got the state legislature to create an election integrity police force.

MORE FROM OUR AUTHORS

VISIT OUR POLITICAL ART SECTION:

dc political art

DEMOCRACY CULTURE

North Korea Cracks Down On 'Capitalist' Pop Culture

North Korea Cracks Down On ‘Capitalist’ Pop Culture

May 6, 2022

North Korea has increased its campaign against “capitalist” style clothing, others, in broader crackdown on foreign pop culture.

DiCaprio, Ruffalo Urge Brazilians To Vote, Irking Bolsonaro

DiCaprio, Ruffalo Urge Brazilians To Vote, Irking Bolsonaro

May 6, 2022

Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo joined other celebrities making a final push for voters in Brazil to register to vote.

Mock M&M Election Teaches Alaskans About Ranked Voting

Mock M&M Election Teaches Alaskans About Ranked Voting

April 26, 2022

There are paper cups with eight different kinds of M&M near the entrance to Amalga Distillery in Juneau for a mock ranked choice vote.

How Moral Echo Chambers Increase Likelihood Of Radicalism

How Moral Echo Chambers Increase Likelihood Of Radicalism

April 21, 2022

Moral convergence – group of people who share moral standards – emerges in online situations where communities share similar values.

Dr. Oz Seeks To Make History In US Senate Bid

Dr. Oz Seeks To Make History In US Senate Bid

April 16, 2022

Trump’s endorsement of Dr. Oz in the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania adds a new wrinkle to the tight race for GOP nominee in a month.

MORE CULTURE

VISIT OUR US DEMOCRACY SECTION:

American Democracy