Womens' Group, 'Las Patronas', Aids Migrants, Wins 2013 Human Rights Award Juan Pablo Mayorga - CNN Mexico
go to original November 28, 2013

Short film about the women of La Patrona Veracruz and their quest for human solidarity. (futureshorts)

Norma Romero Vásquez and a group of women from her family cook rice every day in a pot that is almost one meter in diameter. They later distribute the rice in plastic bags to Central American migrants who are travelling by train toward the United States.

They start cooking at 10 a.m. and prepare beans, slice bread and fill bottles with water to alleviate the hardship of the journey for those crossing La Patrona (a neighborhood in the city of Amatlán de los Reyes, Veracruz) in search of the American Dream.

After more than a decade of continuing this routine at the forefront of the group known as Las Patronas, Norma Romero was recognized this month with the 2013 National Human Rights Award.

When they announced the winner, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) pointed to “the outstanding trajectory in the effective promotion and protection of the rights . . . of migrant peoples.”

“We were not expecting it,” Romero said. “It is of great importance to us. It involves more commitment, to take the message farther, because it can’t remain here.”

Read the rest at Mexico Voices

Translated by Penn Tomassetti

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!