Support Loaeza Family after Tragic Loss

This fund will support Rocio and her two young children meet their basic needs after the tragic loss of her husband, Joaquin, their 20-year-old daughter, Sherlin and 13-year old niece, Kimberly. While they were spending time together during their Easter/Semana Santa holiday, Joaquin, Sherlin and Kimberly all died in a tragic drowning accident while visiting a waterfall. I am an anthropologist and I worked closely with Joaquin, Rocio and Sherlin while conducting fieldwork in Oaxaca, Mexico at a humanitarian aid shelter for migrants. They worked and lived full-time in the shelter dedicating their lives to helping people in need. Now it is our turn to help this precious family as they cope with this unimaginable loss.

GoFundMe does not operate in Mexico so I am collecting the funds in the US and I will send it directly to the family in Oaxaca.

Below I am including a little more of their story:

Originally from a small community called San Sebastián Coatlán about 2 hours from Oaxaca City, in 2004 Joaquin, Rocio and Sherlin began their tenure as the managers of the Casa del Buen Samaritano migrant shelter. For 11 years they lived in a modest room inside the shelter where they did the most remarkable work caring for strangers in need. Sherlin, who was just an infant when they arrived, was raised at the shelter, opening her eyes to people from many walks of life—mostly migrants from Central America, but also volunteers, students, activists and others who passed through. Sherlin’s joyful energy was a welcome presence at the shelter and for people in the midst of one of the most difficult experiences of their lives. The family left the shelter in 2015 so that Joaquin could pursue his dream of being a musician full-time in his band La Buena Vibra, of which Sherlin also eventually joined playing the drums by her very proud dad’s side. The family soon grew to 5 after the birth of two more children and they lived a busy life with school and work and music. Sherlin was studying to be an architect.

On March 29, 2024, Good Friday, Joaquín and his darling Sherlin, along with his 13-year old niece, Kimberly, tragically drowned while visiting La Cascada de La Reforma, Mixtepec, a stunning waterfall about an hour from Oaxaca’s Pacific coast. Sherlin had just celebrated her 20th birthday.

As you can imagine, Rocio, is completely devastated as are her two young children ages 6 and 7.

In consultation with Rocio and along with my comadre Nancy García, who also worked at the shelter, we have set up this fund to support Rocio and her children during this difficult time.

While there is much need in the world today, any gift would be deeply appreciated.