About Musica De Misericorida
Rose calls the Ukulele Shop, “Taller de Sueños,” the Shop of Dreams.
Having fled her home in southern Mexico in order to save the lives of her two tiny daughters, she felt that all of her dreams had died. She arrived at the border and did not where to go. The family slept on the street for a few days until someone directed them up a long steep gravel hill to La Casa, The Home of Mercy of all Nations. La Casa is a safe refuge and caring community.
Casa De La Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones is located in Nogales, on the outskirts of Nogales Mexico. The shelter was created and managed by Sister Lika and supported by many volunteers from both sides of the border. A diverse population resides at our shelter: entire families, single women with children, and single women alone.
Our Story
Our Vision
We have created a self-educated community for and with people in vulnerable situations, where they can explore, learn, and develop their skills in a warm, safe space that supports their human rights. Self-managed, safe, and free, they make this shelter their temporary home. Within the safety of this facility, the residents work to keep the grounds pristine, while cooking, cleaning and attending classes. Still, many of the adults long for training and some source of income. This was the motivation for the Ukulele Shop, which provides dignified work for adults and teens. The people here are so sincere and diligent. They’ve learned from Jim Kesseli, an amateur luthier, and the master luthier, Alan Caruth of Newport, NH. Rose and Samuel lead a group of dedicated young artists at La Casa. This is their story.
The Shop
Musica de Misericordia is a small, tidy shop in a compound community that houses, feeds, and schools a group of forty or fifty migrants. It is a happy place with tools neatly organized, inspiring ukes in all stages of construction proudly lining the wall, with its very own coffee pot and music speaker. Every uke has its challenges, but the team enjoys problem-solving, pulling from their growing experiences with glue, presses, and saws. The current challenge involves molding very sturdy yet tenacious mesquite wood into a gleaming instrument, which is then painted by another community member with desert scenes that reflect a moment in each story.