The Ties That Bind Us: California’s Transnational Community Development Initiative The El Trapiche, Oaxaca Case Study

1. The Ties That Bind Us: California’s Transnational Community Development InitiativeThe El Trapiche, Oaxaca Case Study Presentation byInternational Community Foundation Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and RefugeesConference December 9-11, 2001  Hilton San Diego Resort San Diego, California

2. About ICF: • Only community foundation in the United States solely focused on internationally-oriented donor advised grant-making. • Assets of approx. $1 million and 36 funds. • Close to $1 million funded to date ( over $363K funded this fiscal year—Since 7/1/01) • Geographic focus: the Americas and Asia with an emphasis in Mexico. • Programmatic Areas: Environment, Health, Education, Social Development (including family and children’s issues) ,Sustainable Communities, and Culture. • Growing focus on transnational community development among Mexican and Vietnamese communities in San Diego.

3. Ties That Bind Us: Goals • Increase the level of philanthropic engagement among California’s Latino and Asian immigrants and their corresponding California-based employers. • Improve the educational attainment and quality of life in rural communities of Mexico, Central America and Asia that traditionally send migrant workers to California. • Promote economic development and increased self-sufficiency within sender communities so as to decrease the need among would-be migrants to emigrate to California as well as other urban centers throughout the United States.

4. Ties That Bind: Programmatic Objectives • Development of a streamlined and transparent process for cross-border philanthropy for immigrants in North San Diego County from Oaxaca that will permit contributors, large and small, to give to their communities of origin • Develop a scalable model for expansion: Learning from initial work in North San Diego County, expand the initiative to other Latino and Asian immigrant communities and their corresponding sender communities of origin. • By 2003, increase philanthropic giving among Mexican immigrants to $400,000 annually and with Mexican governmental and corporate matching funds achieve $1,200,000 in assistance to sender communities of origin.

5. El Trapiche--Project Overview • Promote community development in El Trapiche through financial support and technical assistance from its immigrant residents now living in San Diego County; • Leverage immigrant donations with other sources including , but not limited to, foundations; Mexican Government’s Padrino Programa and Fundacion Vamos Mexico • Promote the sustainability of the flower cooperative for El Trapiche to improve the town’s quality of life. • Develop a model project whose best practices can be replicated in other communities throughout rural Mexico.

7. The Need • Migration has left a population largely comprised of children, elders and women • 1/2 of estimated 1,600 inhabitants now live in San Diego County. • Remaining residents exist on subsistence farming and remittances. • Low, if not minimal, governmental investment plus depleted soil conditions and archaic farming methods have challenged town residents in making a living. • Over time immigrant ties with community are lost, something that can be overcome with improved communications and strengthened social/cultural ties.

8. Benefit • Creation of a transnational, cross-border model aimed strengthening the “ties that bind” immigrant communities with their sender communities of origin. • Promote cultural roots and social capital within community. • Promote social and economic sustainability. • Promotes self sufficiency of women and children left behind. • Over time, create sufficient opportunities for youth so as to decrease the need to go north for employment.

9. Project Summary-El Trapiche • Sustainability and expansion of existing greenhouse + technical assistance; • installation of phone line • Establishment of regional development fund. • Cost: USD $60,000—two years • $30K-year 1 (initial contribution by immigrant community: $5K) • HTA-El Trapiche/COCIO (33%); GOM/Vamos Mexico (33%); ICF/Other Foundation Support-USA (33%)

10. El Trapiche Greenhouse with Chrysanthemum production

11. Dr. Juan Hernandez , Dr. Raul Hinojosa and project leader, Elsa Payo at community greenhouse, El Trapiche.

12. Objectives • Objective 1: Construction of a second additional Greenhouse • Objective 2: Hire technical assistant to work on a near full time basis • Objective 3: Offering formal employment to a minimum of six members of the cooperative at a rate of $50 pesos per day ($5 US dollars at 9.0 exchange rate) • Objective 4: Increasing the production and business capabilities of the cooperative • Objective 5: Installing a telephone line for communication between COCIO and El Trapiche • Objective 6: Facilitating the creation of a New Project Development Fund in the Central Valley Region of Oaxaca, complementary to COCIO in North San Diego County

13. Project Partners • Coaltion of Indigious Oaxacan Communities (COCIO) • UCLA-NAID Center • Fundacion Comunitaria de Oaxaca • Centéolt, A.C. • International Community Foundation

15. Greenhouse Project Schedule • Phase 1: analysis/definition of project • Phase 2: Technical Assistance • Phase 3:Regional Project Development Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3: Technical Assistance Dec. Ene Feb Mar Abr Mayo Jun Jul Sep Oct Nov Dec

16. Dr. Juan Hernandez, Director of Mexicans Abroad, Office of the President, Los Pinos with residents of El Trapiche

17. Contact Information: Richard Kiy President & CEO International Community Foundation 1420 Kettner Blvd, Suite 500 San Diego, Ca. 92101 Tel: (619) 235-2300 Fax: (619) 239-1710 Rkiy@icfdn.org www.icfdn.org