The Rotary Club of Santa Maria Noon is proud to be a lead supporter of La Granja, an innovative and deeply needed autism center currently under construction in Tijuana, Mexico. This international project is a reflection of our club’s commitment to improving lives beyond our borders, especially for children and families who lack access to essential care.
La Granja is designed to serve children and teenagers diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), offering therapeutic services in an open, nature-based setting filled with positive stimuli. The center will focus on alternative therapies—including equine, animal-assisted, horticulture, and art therapy—that complement traditional medical and psychological treatments. These approaches aim to help children develop autonomy, communication skills, and emotional well-being.
La Granja is designed to serve children and teenagers diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), offering therapeutic services in an open, nature-based setting filled with positive stimuli. The center will focus on alternative therapies—including equine, animal-assisted, horticulture, and art therapy—that complement traditional medical and psychological treatments. These approaches aim to help children develop autonomy, communication skills, and emotional well-being.
The need for La Granja is significant. In Mexico, an estimated 400,000 children live with autism, yet only 1 in 115 receives a formal diagnosis. This is due not only to the complexity and variation of symptoms but also to systemic shortcomings in the national health care system. In Tijuana, the CRIT (Centro de Rehabilitación e Inclusión Infantil) currently has a waitlist of over 500 children with ASD. Although CRIT has the capacity to serve 300 children, they are stretching resources to serve an average of 350 monthly.
On March 29, 2025, our club's International Chair, Jorge Chaves, and his family traveled to Tijuana to visit the construction site and witness the progress firsthand. It was an inspiring and emotional visit. The team at La Granja, led by Dr. Maria Noemí Cabrales Vargas, organized a special event in our honor, with local radio, TV, and print media covering the occasion. The experience reaffirmed the profound importance of this project and the powerful impact that Rotary can make.
Our club has successfully completed the first of two district grants supporting the construction of La Granja. As we continue to support La Granja through the next phase of development, we invite our fellow Rotarians and community partners to stay engaged. This is more than a building project—it’s a chance to give children and families access to a brighter, more inclusive future.
On March 29, 2025, our club's International Chair, Jorge Chaves, and his family traveled to Tijuana to visit the construction site and witness the progress firsthand. It was an inspiring and emotional visit. The team at La Granja, led by Dr. Maria Noemí Cabrales Vargas, organized a special event in our honor, with local radio, TV, and print media covering the occasion. The experience reaffirmed the profound importance of this project and the powerful impact that Rotary can make.
Our club has successfully completed the first of two district grants supporting the construction of La Granja. As we continue to support La Granja through the next phase of development, we invite our fellow Rotarians and community partners to stay engaged. This is more than a building project—it’s a chance to give children and families access to a brighter, more inclusive future.
