(ANS - Tijuana) - On 30 October the "Trust for the Americas" Foundation, a non-profit organization affiliated to the Organization of American States (OAS), conferred recognition on the Father Chava Restaurant, one of seven works of the Salesian Project in Tijuana on behalf of migrants.

by Mario Jimenez

The award was presented during an event called "Opening Doors and Creating Opportunities", held at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC; The Salesians were represented by Mrs. Margarita Andonaegui who is manager of this work of social commitment on behalf of the most vulnerable, and Fr Ernesto Hernandez Ruiz, SDB, who was Director of the work until a few months ago.

The "Social Leadership" award was conferred also on other organizations active in Latin America. These included  "Fundación ARCANGELES" (Colombia) and Community Centre CEACA (Brazil), institutions which share with the Father Chava Restaurant the implementation of the Programme of Economic Opportunity through Technology in the Americas (POETA).

To mark the fifteenth anniversary of the "Trust for the Americas" Foundation, there was formal recognition of the developments achieved by the POETA project. It began in Guatemala in 2004 and since November 2012, it has assisted the Salesian work of the Father Chava Restaurant through its collaboration with the Salesian Project in Tijuana. This project has enabled them to set up a computer centre which provides training supported by Microsoft, as well as various workshops, conferences and activities on the theme of Human Rights and Culture of Lawfulness.

The aim of the programme is to introduce young migrants in Tijuana to new information technologies, thereby improving their chances of employment.

Despite its name, the Father Chava Restaurant offers much more than food. It is a centre that cares for migrants, founded over 15 years ago and attended by nearly 1,200 people each day. In a warm and dignified atmosphere, it offers guests food, medical, legal and psychological assistance, computer training and personal care ... The name pays tribute to its founder, a Salesian Fr Salvador Romo, known to everyone as Father Chava (1940-2002).

Published 05/11/2014