Humanitarian Assistance for Haitian Homies of BLX

Update: In early May, Enriques and Sofia began his residency process. We expect the process to be complete by the end of August. Jenése won the visa lottery to go to the US. She decided to follow her own American dream and she was re-settled to Ohio.

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THE CAUSE

Blaxicocina is Mexico City's first and only Black and woman-owned Soul Food restaurant, and I, Founder/Owner & Executive Chef, Tiara Darnell, am calling on Blaxicocina's community of supporters to share the love and contribute to this legal fund to help secure humanitarian and work visas for Enrique and his sister Jenèse, two BLX homies from CDMX's growing Haitian diasporic community.

Sofia Rodriguez, founding lawyer of Immigration Pros MX, helped me, an immigrant, get my work visa and my business legally established. She has generously discounted her services 75% and will personally shepherd Enriques through this two to three month-long visa process, in addition to helping him secure his work permit, official identification card, government and social security documents, and a bank account. The approximate cost after the Immigration Pros MX discount for this is as follows:

$750 USD - Legal counsel and guidance for Humanitarian and Work visa process for two

$300 USD - Legal guidance for establishing bank account and securing government documents

TOTAL - $1,050

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THE POP-UP

This fundraiser is happening in tandem with Little Haiti, a Haitian pop-up happening on Easter Sunday (March 31) and featuring family recipes cooked together by these siblings, Enrique and Jenèse. If you are in Mexico City, come eat with us! Yes, we'll have a plant-based options too! If you're not here (what are you even doing? ha, jk!), be with us in vibes and donate anyway. We'll send you a huge thank you as well as recipe card for their version of Sos Pwa, a rich and deeply satisfying black bean sauce eaten daily over rice.

Since opening Blaxicocina, it has always been a guiding part of my personal ethos and the social impact mission of BLX to take part in our surrounding community, rather than simply take from it. Across generations, from colonizers to "ex-pats" to refugees, Mexico and Mexicans have always welcomed immigrants, and it is in that same spirit that I'm organizing this effort, with the aim of helping in a life-changing and game-changing way, two individuals who simply crossed my path one day in Parque las Ámericas, and have quickly become friends that bring to my life what I strive to bring into the lives of everyone who come to Blaxicocina: joy, fellowship and nourishment.

Thank you for your support,

Enriques, Jenèse, and Tiara

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AND, JUST TO BE EXTRA TRANSPARENT...

Go Fund Me does not currently support fundraisers in Mexico, so this fundraiser is being hosted and managed personally by Tiara, a resident of Washington, USA.

*all remaining funds, if any, will be used for any unexpected, miscellaneous expenses related to this process for Enriques and Jenèse.

**Enriques and Jenèse came to Mexico with two cousins. All unused funds, or additional funds beyond our goal will be used to help keep this family united by securing visas for them. After them, we'll create an official fund and an organized way to just keep paying it forward with legal assistance for this community in need.

It's the goal of Blaxicocina to be able to gainfully employ Enrique and Jenése should they choose to accept an offer once they have work visas.