Barrón, Sinaloa is a small Mexican town located 30 minutes from the city of Mazatlán and 5 km from the community of Estrella del Mar. Many of the staff who work at Estrella del Mar live in Barrón so there has always been a close connection with the town and Estrella.

Barrón has about 400 families and 3,000 people, of which about 110 people from Barrón work at Estrella del Mar 6 days a week. The majority of Barrón citizens earn their income from agriculture and some commute into Mazatlan. There is a distinct lack of services in Barrón. Water is available to fill private cisterns before 7 am and is turned on again in the evenings. There are some amenities … lots of small family stores, a baseball diamond, hidden cantinas, the Catholic Church, a nice plaza and, of course, the bakery.

Why Not?

Barrón is close. The families who live there have “history”. They remember when eighboring Isla Piedra Ejido sold 800 acres of their coconut groves back on March 31, 1984 to the Estrella del Mar resort. There’s not a lot of turnover, population wise. There is a road side sign that says, “Turismo es la nueva realidad”, strategically placed by someone in the Mexican Department of Transportation (not). A lot of folks are trying.

There is not a lot that can be done to diminish the disparity between Barron & EDM. What we can do is help lift the kids out of the cycle of poverty that traps them there. Go over there and buy a case of Coronitas. You’ll have to pay the deposit so that means you will have to commit to go back. Go back. Speak some Spanish to the guy behind the counter. He will be thrilled and will give you a big smile and offer to carry the full case to the car. Try it! You might Like It!

Then note the improvements. There is a new wall around all the schools and the bathrooms work. There is AC in most classrooms, each of which holds 30 – 40 students… and they’re small! They have made improvements to the plaza, paved many of the downtown roads. The schools have internet. There is a medical/dental clinic and pharmacy. Many of these projects have been funded by your contributions to FOB CANAM Inc. Things are slowly improving.

About a third of the work-aged men work at EDM. Another third own their own land and work it, alongside various family members. About a third go to town, work at a store or do part-time Ag work. The town has its own ongoing political drama. But FOB focuses on the kids and the community as a whole.

It’s just that these kids don’t know how to recognize opportunity, let alone capitalize on it. That is one of the first things our students learn…. How to see opportunity, A…. and B… How to capitalize upon it.

We are building Human Capital there. And we’re doing a good job. Help us … please!