Abraham Must Leave Mexico
Abraham is the real person that Marilyn Nelson and Tonya Hegamin wrote about in the book PEMBA'S SONG so they could raise money to help him live his dream of moving to Mexico to study the Afro-Mestizo people there.
Abraham was a laborer in a small Connecticut town; he got around on a bike and made his living building stone walls, mowing lawns, mopping restaurant floors, house sitting and chopping wood. He spent his free time reading and researching politics, culture and history, even though he had no formal education. When he turned 65 and started getting a monthly SS check (ca. $300), he used the money Marilyn and Tonya shared with him from the sale of their book, left his home (a trailer with no electricity and a wood stove), got on a Greyhound bus and wound up in a small Mexican town, doing whatever odd jobs to sustain himself and often surviving by eating from fruit trees. By living the pauper’s life for almost 70 years, he finally got to experience some of the expat life that so many privileged Americans dream about.
After living peacefully in Mexico for several years, however, Abraham has been threatened by gangs that he must pay for their "protection" or he will face violent consequences. Like many people in Central and Latin America, he is being forced to move in order to find a safe place to live. We are hoping to help him get to Belize or Costa Rica. Because of the political climate in the States he is wary of coming back; living in the States on $300 a month is nearly impossible, especially for someone over 70. Our goal is to get Abraham long term accommodation so he can live his dream for a few more years in a place he now calls home.
Please help us support his move and his safety! The money will go into an American bank account to be transferred to him directly. Any amount will help!
Abraham was a laborer in a small Connecticut town; he got around on a bike and made his living building stone walls, mowing lawns, mopping restaurant floors, house sitting and chopping wood. He spent his free time reading and researching politics, culture and history, even though he had no formal education. When he turned 65 and started getting a monthly SS check (ca. $300), he used the money Marilyn and Tonya shared with him from the sale of their book, left his home (a trailer with no electricity and a wood stove), got on a Greyhound bus and wound up in a small Mexican town, doing whatever odd jobs to sustain himself and often surviving by eating from fruit trees. By living the pauper’s life for almost 70 years, he finally got to experience some of the expat life that so many privileged Americans dream about.
After living peacefully in Mexico for several years, however, Abraham has been threatened by gangs that he must pay for their "protection" or he will face violent consequences. Like many people in Central and Latin America, he is being forced to move in order to find a safe place to live. We are hoping to help him get to Belize or Costa Rica. Because of the political climate in the States he is wary of coming back; living in the States on $300 a month is nearly impossible, especially for someone over 70. Our goal is to get Abraham long term accommodation so he can live his dream for a few more years in a place he now calls home.
Please help us support his move and his safety! The money will go into an American bank account to be transferred to him directly. Any amount will help!
Organizer and beneficiary
Tonya Cherie Hegamin
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
Marilyn Nelson
Beneficiary
