The origins and development of Border Partners

Origins in 2008

Border Partners (BP) was organized in November, 2008 in response to the poverty in Luna County, NM and in Palomas, Chihuahua, MX across the border. The region has a high unemployment rate and the jobs that exist are low-paying. Utilities in Mexico are very expensive. “Drug wars” brought violence to the Mexican side of the border for months during the preceding year and many young people were killed. Others, while grieving for lost friends and relatives saw their jobs disappear as families with money left town.

Peter & Polly Edmunds

Border Partners founders, Peter and Polly Edmunds, wanted to do something to help improve the lives of the people in the area. After meetings with a group of families in Palomas to discuss the most urgent needs in that community, they decided to form a group that could encourage the development of businesses by providing education and resources to individuals and small groups. These businesses would be managed by the workers themselves and provide good work with decent wages. In addition, they wanted to teach people about healthy lifestyles and promote the use of sustainable technologies (like solar power, water re-use, home gardens etc.) that would save people money and use less water.

The first activities were research into very low-cost, solar cooking units and development of a sewn product that could be made at home by women in Palomas. They developed their own model and began holding workshops to train people to build and use cookers. This led to the development of health workshops that promoted dental hygiene and nutrition.

Also in the fall of 2008, BP volunteers began working with two women in Palomas who were part of a cooperative there, knew how to sew and needed more income to support their families. The idea was that oilcloth products were popular in the USA and these women could possibly make some money by sewing unique, well-crafted products made of oilcloth.

Moving ahead in 2009

By February, 2009, the number of women in the group had grown to seven and BP volunteers began to teach them some of the business skills necessary to manage a business themselves. Five of the seven women have only completed the equivalent of seven grades of school. One has completed high school. All of them knew how to sew and some had sold small items before, but none had worked with a group to run a business and no one knew accounting or had the financial resources to develop a line of products that could be sold to stores.

By June, 2009 the women, along with BP volunteers, had developed several other products and were learning all aspects of running a business themselves. BP volunteers helped the group develop high-quality, well designed products, find good materials at good prices, provided loans to purchase materials, designed marketing materials and found outlets to purchase the products. Money from the sales paid the women’s wages and overhead costs.

Palomas woodworking shop

In April, 2009, three people in Palomas met with BP founder, Peter Edmunds, to begin planning for a woodworking shop. They learned how to use various tools and equipment and making prototype products that it may be possible to sell. This woodworking group helped build a small children’s climbing/play structure at the BP building in Palomas. Production of a solar cooker/water pasteurizer that can be sold will begin in fall of 2009.

In 2009, volunteers prepared the documents necessary to organize as a tax-exempt organization, developed bookkeeping systems and found people to serve on the Border Partners’ Board of Directors.

New Development in 2010

In January, Palomas Secundaria/Middle School students and Solar Promoters built four solar cookers at the school for learning and student research about the power of the sun.

In February, the woodworking group built displays for Palomas Aprons…and More! (PAM) to use in stores for hanging bags and tablecloths. Seven families, with Border Partners volunteers and donated wood, built raised bed frames and planted new vegetable gardens at their home using donated seeds. An exercise classes began with the help of a small loan from BP to buy equipment. BP also provided some funds to offer introductory classes at a low rate. Tom and Carol Aageson, long-time supporters of PAM, provided $5,000 to pay one of the women in the group to be their Coordinator for one year. See the Fair Trade page for more information.

In March, the woodworking group created a space at the center so that PAM could secure their materials, and the gardening group made drip irrigation systems from donated pipe.

In April, internet was installed at the PAM Coordinator’s home, made available to everyone participating in BP projects. Ray Hansen, from the Deming Garden Club, visited several gardens and consulted about growing vegetables in the desert. A prototype solar water heater was developed.

In May, we received our 503(c)3 status from the U.S. government. On the program front, the woodworking group made wheeled carts for PAM to store oilcloth. They also made eight solar cookers–given to eight families to use. In return, each family agreed to document their use of the stove. The members of the cooking group made plans to earn money by solar cooker sales. Our most active solar cooking family claimed that they halved their use of propane gas.

Border Partners encouraged participation in a summer “Three on Three” basketball tournament that drew nearly 50 teams.

Border Partners was able to pay a summer stipend to Juana Lozoya Ortega, an experienced Palomas gardener, to visit each of the other gardeners periodically and offer her expertise.

Oilcloth sales continued to grow, with the Jackalope store in Santa Fe, NM as PAM’s top seller.alomas