Investours Mexico in Bucerias Transitions into Independent NGO of 'Human Connections' Elly Rohrer - Human Connections
September 13, 2014

Through educational tours, seminars, and internships in Mexico, Human Connections brings together international travelers and local Mexican entrepreneurs to share in cultural and personal exchange.

Our programs foster real connections that are transformative, rewarding and have lasting social impact.

Human Connections will continue to offer the same tours that Investours did, in addition to new programming offered from our community center.

As a result of the transition, Investours Mexico no longer exists (though we maintain a close and friendly relationship with the international NGO).

We call Bucerias, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico home. Bucerias is a charming seaside village just north of the world-renowned Pacific Coast destination of Puerto Vallarta.

Our Internship Programs are led by the Director of Human Connections, Elly Rohrer, with the collaboration of local staff and guest speakers. Interns will learn how a social enterprise operates, examine the impact on the surrounding community, and gain a unique cultural experience. We host a 3-week program in January and an 8-week program in the summer.

We have conducted more than 10 internship programs in Bucerias involving students from Harvard, Yale, University of California Berkeley, Northern Illinois University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and more. Our program is usually capped at eight participants, and given the intimate nature of our program and housing, participants tend to become close friends and often stay in contact after completing their internship.

From Lucyanna Burke, Summer 2014 Intern from Harvard University:

Everyday at 5 o’clock 80s pop begins to blare in our office from the karaoke bar beneath us. Occasionally we are fortunate enough to work until six before the music interrupts us and forces us to make the choice between shouting in order to be heard or giving in and abandoning our work to the lure of happy hour below.

Our office, which was inaugurated in June, sits in the center of downtown Bucerias (such as it is) and at the center of our small universe while we work as interns for Human Connections. The office is on the third floor on the corner between a bar and a doctor’s office (both of which we have made use of). The winding stairs open into our incredible office. High dark ceilings and ocean breezes keep the rooms cool even during the heat of the early afternoon. And if the heat becomes too much anyway, the interns (and sometimes Elly too I would imagine) can climb the next flight up to our roof, a sort of open widow’s watch which boasts not only a view of all of Bucerias and the ocean half a block away but a palapa roof with a hammock. Not a few times have I taken advantage of the wonderful tradition of siesta – which I will be implementing in my life at home as well – and slipped up to the hammock for a nap, or just to appreciate the beauty of our location.

During the day the office buzzes with activity; we come and go as our work and wants call for. At any given moment there will be interns working with clients in their homes (and sometimes even getting cooking lessons while others hold English roundtables open to the community and others apply what they’ve learned in marketing classes to try to improve the sales of a small business in Bucerias.

Within a ten minute walk of the office is everything we need: restaurants, shops, our hotel, and, of course the beach. But that doesn’t mean we always stay in this small section of Bucerias. The Bay offers chances to explore and have adventures that are worth a trip. For longer trips the public transportation around the Bay of Banderas, is very good, very convenient, and costs less than a metro ride in the US.

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