It’s our last day in the community of Casa de Luz, Tijuana and we decided that we wanted to do something special with the residents.
Life in Tijuana for asylum seekers and refugees is tough, especially for LGBTIQ people. Many have faced abuse and discrimination from their families and communities back home, and violence continues to affect their daily lives outside the shelter in Tijuana. However, this does not stop the Casa de Luz community. They spend so much time helping one another and others in their community, we wanted to give back to them.
We decided the best way to celebrate was to throw a party and then head down to the beach for a good old-fashioned bonfire.
We brought fresh local ingredients and prepared a lovely buffet-style meal for the residents. The lunch then spontaneously turned into a dance party, where the residents, young and old were showing off their best moves. We were even treated to some signing by one of the lovely transgender residents.
We then ended the day with a sunset celebration on the beach where we roasted s’mores, listened to music and celebrated together.