Wednesday 18th

Today we had a break from the manual labor, but it was still a long day of visiting organizations, talking to our hosts, and ofcourse eating. First, we visited the National Border Patrol, a privately funded exhibit on the history of the Border Patrol. There we heard a presentation from Agent Joe Romero and had a chance to ask questions and discuss issues realting to law enforcement along the border. Although, I didn't agree with everything he said, I think it was an invaluable experience for us to hear and think about a viewpoint we won't get from the other groups we'll be visiting this week.
After that we visited La Mujera Obrera (The Worker Woman) an organization of women trying to build up a community made destitute by the loss of the garment factories. The women had formed a horizontal corporation that provided the women in their community an opportunitty to work, take classes, and better both thier own lives and the condition of the community around them. What blew me away was the energy and the initiative behind these women. The woman who spoke to us and showed us around talked at a mile a minute about all the things that their organization does and all the things they have planned. I was really just blown away by how emphatic these women were in taking control of thier lives and shaping them into what they envisioned. We also had a chance to eat at their restaurant and it was incredible.
The last group we visited was the Nonprofit Enterprise Center, which works with the nonprofit groups in El Paso. They presented us with a lot of information about El Paso the city. Then we went to executive director, Frank's house for a cook-out. It was nice to just chill and talk with some nonprofit workers in an informal setting. Today was a long day, but the inspiration at La Mujera Obrera and the issues raised by visiting with the Border Patrol made for a very fullfilling and thought provoking day.