COVID-19 Emergency Care Package for Opatas

Edgar Garcia Rosas is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Our Opata relatives and friends from other Indigenous Nations that still remain in different municipalities of Sonora face a challenging situation with a lack of resources. But COVID-19 presents another barrier to overcome.

We understand that this is a worldwide and national crisis, but Indigenous Peoples are severely affected, and resources are limited. The Opata Nation, as much as possible and with no resources other than donations from volunteers, continues to contact and help those Opatas who need it most, currently the Opata residents (193 members) in the municipality of Opodepe.

Currently, many of the municipalities of the State of Sonora have Stay-at-Home orders implemented, so it is vital to find ways to help that do not harm these communities.

Thit is why the Opata Nation has started a campaign to receive in-kind resources and donations via the GoFundMe platform to bring basic non-perishable food and cleaning products to our Opata community in Opodepe and thus, protect our community, our elders, our children, and consequently, our culture.

With your help, we can continue our work of providing help and support for the Opata individuals in need.

Help us reach our initial goal of $6,000 on GoFundMe.

And If you want to sponsor a family, take a look at point number 7 below. ;)

Diôs e’mêe’na (Thank you)!

**Update on Dec 2020**
Money donated and transferred to Mexico: $149,369 MXN
Money spent on food, medical items, and other supplies for Opodepe and Opatas from Nacori Chico: $147,121.96 MXN

Money left: $2, 247.04 MXN

FAQ
1.-How many Opatas families are you seeking to help with this fundraising?
42 families (193 members)

2.-What percentage of the population from the Opodepe municipality represents the Opatas?
Around 5.4%

3.-Are you also accepting in-kind items and where?
Yes, we are accepting in-kind donations but only in Hermosillo, Sonora.

Please contact the following Opata Council member to coordinate the delivery in the capital of Sonora, Mexico:
[email redacted]

4.-How soon do you need the funds?
As soon as possible, since buying and delivering it with the current curfew status in Sonora is going to be detrimental for its accomplishment on time.

5.-Who are the Opatas?
Please visit our official website to learn about us:
https://opatanation.org/about

6.-What are the requested items?
The requested items are 27*:
-1Kg bags of Pinto Beans
-1Kg bags of Rice
-1Kg bags of Sugar
-Cooking oil bottles
-Soluble coffee jars
-1L packs Tetra Pak of Nutrileche
-1Kg packs of Manteca
-1Kg packs of Los Gallos wheat flour
-1Kg packs of Maseca nixtamalized cornflour
-Oats bags
-500g Lentins bags
-200g Sopa bags
-210g Tomato Puree packs
-1Kg Table salt bags
-140g Tuna Cans
-425g Cans of Sardines in tomato sauce
-220g Cans of Clemente vegetable salad
-220g Cans of Corn grains
-220g Cans of whole Jalapeño peppers
-160g packs of Galletas Marías
-800g packs of Animalitos cookies
-180g packs of Galletas saladas
-Rolls of Toilet paper
-1Kg Biodegradable powder detergent bags
-400g Bars of Soap Zote Rosa
-720g Dishwasher powder bags
-120ml packs of Toothpaste

You can check each of these items by clicking on them here:
https://opatanation.org/current-campaigns

*These 27 items are part of the "Canasta Básica" in México:
https://www.gob.mx/canastabasica

7.-Will all 42 Opata families receive the same amount of products per package?
Yes, the same or similar products, but since the members per family vary, the unit quantities per product will vary considering the number of members in each family.

Breakdown of the families:
4 Families of 2 members (Approximate cost per family $80.00)
6 Families of 3 members (Approximate cost per family $110.00)
7 Families of 4 members (Approximate cost per family $145.00)
9 Families of 5 members (Approximate cost per family $180.00)
8 Families of 6 members (Approximate cost per family $215.00)
2 Families of 7 members (Approximate cost per family $250.00)
1 Family of 8 members (Approximate cost per family $285.00)
1 Family of 9 members (Approximate cost per family $320.00)
1 Family of 12 members (Approximate cost per family $420.00)

8.-How are you going to implement the resources?
1.-Once we have considerable resources, we will place the first order of items with a Store's Distributor/Supplier in Sonora with the goal to be able to complete as many Care Packages as possible from the total 42.

2.-These items will be delivered to a location in Hermosillo, Sonora, where the Opata Councilmember Cristina M. will initiate with the preparation of the Care packages according to the 42 family lists provided.

3.- Once some packages are ready, another person, a truck owner (with authorization to travel and to be able to access the Opodepe municipality) will take the initial shipment of packages to Opodepe.

4.-There our point of contact will call to the sheriffs form each of the localities for them to pick you the labeled Care packages to its final destination.

9.-Why is water not on the list?
Although water is an essential resource in this semi-arid area of the State of Sonora and even more so with the mantles and aquifers that are contaminated by the region's mines, it was confirmed that the DIF municipal system of Opodepe is providing this vital resource daily to all inhabitants.

10.-Where is Opodepe [Opodepa]?
Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opodepe

From our official website [Opodepa in the Opateria]
https://opatanation.org/opateria

11.-How do you know exactly how many Opatas are in Opodepe?
The Opata Traditional Government Council, with the help of Opatas in the region or points of contact, such as the Chroniclers in the different municipalities, has carried out an internal CENSUS since the end of 2019, with which essential data has been collected for better planning and assistance of our community.

This internal CENSUS has not yet concluded but has been halted for lack of resources, violence that has occurred in the region, and this pandemic.

12.-If we know that Opatas elsewhere also suffer from a certain level of poverty, why are they not receiving help at this time?
Considering (1) the limited or null resources that we have, (2) Opodepe's being the first municipality with a high Opata population with more than one person infected with the virus, (3) and the only grocery store's being closed led us to prioritize launching the campaign in Opodepe first.