In the video below, Hope 4 Humanity founders; Sharon, Karen and Lisa
share the story of Hope for Humanity
On an ordinary day in June 2019, three friends got together to share their heartbreak about the latest news from the southern border. Little kids were being separated from their parents and locked up like common criminals. Could this be true in the land of the free and the home of the brave?
We decided at that moment to go see for ourselves. It was worse than what we could have ever imagined. Thousands of people were forced to live like animals at the mercy of brutal cartels. No clean water. Stuck with using rancid porta potties, wondering day-to-day if they would be kidnapped or raped. We could not unsee this dehumanizing tragedy and knew we must do something.
But what could we do in the face of this overwhelming situation? Not very much alone, but with a community of compassionate people there was hope.
We started with two messages we wanted to give migrants at the southern border:
You are not alone. Somebody cares.
Valerie wrote this spoken word piece after her first border pilgrimage.
This poem is set to the music of We Don’t Talk About Bruno from the movie Encanto. The poem gives voice to the silenced and overlooked, the migrants at our borders, whose stories too often go untold. It’s a reflection of the hardships they gave, the resilience they show, and the compassion we are called to extend.
We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no
We don’t talk about Bruno…
But why don’t we speak ’bout the borderlines,
Where hopes get tangled in razor wire lines?
Families torn apart in the desert’s cry,
Silent prayers, as their dreams die.
It was fear, it was pain, it was chaos
So many fleeing, not knowing where to go
Cartels and danger were following way too close
Bruno’s voice was silenced, who could speak their mind?
Grew up in the shadows, trying to survive
Facing walls and borders, strugglin to stay alive
Torn from their homes with no place to hide
Searching for hope, slipping through the cracks
Praying for shelter at the break of day
Yet through it all, they still find a way
We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no
We don’t talk about Bruno!
I can hear the whispers in the border towns
voices of the children, crying without a sound
Their dreams are lost, no papers to be found
Hidden in the dark, where hope’s underground
The law says NO but their hearts say STAY
They risk everything for a brighter day
We see their pain but we still say no
But what if we can help them grow?
I can hear them in the night with their quiet pleas
Prayers whispered softly, carried by the breeze
Fearing rejection, but holding on tight,
hoping for mercy before the daylight
Every step they take is filled with grace
Dreams of freedom etched on every face. Yet
We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no
We don’t talk about Bruno!
Who will speak for Bruno? They’ve got no voice,
Searching for safety, not by their choice.
But we could be the ones who stand,
We could lend a hand…
What if hope could bloom in the broken ground?
What if love could turn this all around?
If we reached out, if we took a stand,
Could we lend a hand?
They say Bruno’s dangerous, but thats not true
They’re just like us, they dream just like we do
Behind their stories, there is more to still find
If we choose love, we can change their lives
It’s time we speak up, we can’t stay still,
For Bruno’s voice, we must find the will.
The silence breaks when we stand as one,
Together, we’ll fight ‘til justice is won!
But what if we choose to act,
And we walk beside those who are held back?
Love can be the thing that heals the pain,
The hope that falls like rain!
We can build a future bright,
Where every soul is seen in the light!
We can bring justice to every land,
If we all understand!
We can talk about Bruno… Yes, yes, yes!
We must talk about Bruno!
We should talk about Bruno, loud and clear,
We should talk about Bruno—there’s nothing to fear!
We can lift the ones who’ve been pushed below,
And bring hope to the hearts that overflow!
Our love can shine, let compassion show,
We will talk about Bruno!
We must speak up, it’s up to us to choose
To stand for justice, we’ve got nothing to lose.
They’re not invisible, they’re part of God’s plan
We can be their voices, yes, we can!
For Bruno’s voice, we must find the will.
Together, we’ll fight ‘til justice is won!
Valerie Caballero