Dear friends,

The Casa has taken another big step forward: We are now hosting daily Spanish classes for recently arrived refugees in Mexico City.

The classes began in response to the June 2nd arrival of 198 additional Haitian earthquake refugees. Learning basic Spanish quickly is absolutely critical for refugee families to begin to rebuild their lives in Mexico City. We are partnering with Sin Fronteras to offer intensive Spanish courses that will be open to all refugees in Mexico.

So, since July 5^th, each morning just before 9am about twenty people gather in front of the Casa before ringing the bell and coming inside. As they pass through the reception on their way to the conference room, many practice their new Spanish skills with volunteers: “Hola, buenos días, ¿cómo estás?” At 10:30, the next group arrives as the first group leaves. The free classes currently serve mostly Haitians but also Iranians, Nepalis, and people from several African nations (most of whom are current or former Casa guests).

Since the January 12^th earthquake that devastated the Haitian capital, the Mexican Navy has brought three separate boats of refugees to Mexico. The third and final boat brought mostly family members of Haitians already here. The majority of the newcomers do not speak Spanish, and the arrival of family members is both a joyful and a precarious moment. Learning Spanish is the key first step to economic and social stability.

“After having worked previously in a tiny space,” Spanish teacher Israel Adame told us, he was “glad to finally have a proper space to teach Spanish to refugee and migrants.” Melissa Labougle, another instructor, said that “the Casa de los Amigos has made the difference from being able to teach 5 or 10 students at a time to more than 25.”

Because of the enthusiastic response of the students and teachers, we have decided to continue the classes (including an intermediate course) through the end of the year. Casa staff and volunteers are also looking forward to sharing in the celebration on the last day of their summer course. We are happy to open the Casa’s doors for this purpose, and we knew you would want to hear about this new connection between the Casa and refugee communities in Mexico.

En paz y amistad,

Nicholas Wright and Jill Anderson
Directors, Casa de los Amigos A.C.

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