Throughout the year, FISH regularly provides basic medical healthcare, including testing for blood pressure, glucose levels, and administering reading glasses, to underserved communities in Mexico. Our organization offers these services every other week to the neighborhoods of Maclovio Rojas, an ejido (or, squatter town) near Tijuana. In conjuction with Mexican Medical, our organization aids the residents of Tijuana through a monthly medical brigade. During the summer, FISH travels to other countries in need, including the Phillipines, Honduras, and Romania, to provide similar services.

FISH directs several task forces to effectively address the specific needs of various communities in Mexico. These include the education, El Mezon, Maclovio Rojas, and orphanage task forces. FISH also broadens the knowledge base of residents in several Mexican communities on first aid, hygiene, English, and computer skills. At the orphanage La Tribu de Jesus in La Gloria, our associates teach good dental hygiene practices, proper diet, and nutrition to the children. In Maclovio Rojas, our associates assist a volunteer Saturday teacher in instructing English and mathematics to the children. Furthermore, our associates arrange workshops to educate middle school children on the basics of computer skills.

FISH lends assistance to a drug rehabilitation center called El Mezon, located on the outskirts of Maclovio Rojas, which treats alcoholics and narcotics. Our associates perform basic physical exams and provide first aid to the patients, as well as offering medical consultation and replenishing the first aid supplies of the facility.

In an attempt to understand the needs of different communities in Mexico, FISH has successfully administered public health surveys, conducted water safety tests, and communicated with local leaders to understand the political and socioeconomic context of a community. For instance, our findings in Maclovio Rojas indicated a demand for additional medical education on pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and elucidated residents’ concerns on a local drug addiction problem.