Since their retirement, Claudia Bierman and William Graham spend five months a year in Cuernavaca, Mexico. In November of 2000 they met Bill and Patty Coleman of VAMOS! . Claudia and William spent several months visiting projects, meeting the leaders, seeing the children and talking with young artisans who make superb handicrafts in workshop called Casa Romero. We observed how VAMOS! always works closely with community leaders and projects are developed to bring families and neighbours together to work for a better future.
In 2001 Claudia and William started Canadian Friends of VAMOS!, a Canadian charitable organization, to work with VAMOS! .
Cuernavaca is a city of over one million inhabitants located 70 kilometers southwest of Mexico City. Like many cities in Mexico, the population has grown dramatically over the past twenty years. Rural families who can no longer support themselves on their farms migrate to the cities to look for jobs. They live in communities that are incredibly poor and often lack basic human services – water, electricity, sewage, schools and medical services. Many live in dirt-floor shacks made from corrugated paper or scrap lumber. Few have regular employment and, being recent migrants from rural Mexico, have few ties with their neighbours.