MiddCore is an enterprenurial program at Middlebury College during the January month of every year. This particular project was done by Jocelyn Tenorio ’19, and focused on creating an app for farm workers that would increase their access to mobility. Based on the time limits of the course and the course structure itself, the proposed app did not come to fruition. Here is the validation for the work done during January:

Validation

“The issue of transportation is definitely one that is prevalent in the migrant community. My focus initially was to have the app for more “social events” with the newsletter incorporated into the app. However, after speaking with migrant allies and a migrant worker, I realized that there are other needs that are also not being met (such as being able to go to doctor appointments), and got some feedback on what to add/subtract from my idea.

I was able to speak on the phone with Marita (on January 17, 2018) who works at Migrant Justice. She was telling me that at Migrant Justice, they already have a system where they send out emails to volunteer drivers (who already have already had training with Migrant Justice, where they cover what to do in the event of the police stopping them and they have a migrant worker for instance). They send out a mass email to their current database of volunteer drivers (about 2 to 2.5 weeks in advance, in case there is an event) asking if someone can drive a worker, for example. From there, they check and track the responses, and match the first volunteer driver with the worker. However, some issues that she mentioned to me was that volunteers get lost with the GPS. Another issue is that sometimes a worker might be behind the barn, or waiting at the corner so the driver is not able to find them.

She was telling me that having a pin feature similar to that of Uber and WhatsApp would help eliminate this issue of not finding each other. Marita also added that having information, such as color of the car, incorporated into the app, would also help.

When I pitched my idea to Veronica Ciambra (from the Migrant Ally group from the Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society – she is also the coordinator of the sub group called “Everyday Living Needs” for the workers. She has also been giving rides for four years) on the phone the following day, she emphasized and told me the following: “Isolation is the biggest problem.” She went on to tell me how there were dinners and salsa nights that the migrant farmworkers did not even know about. My feature of having this weekly newsletter with social events would help cut that “not knowing” part. They also have an email system like that of Migrant Justice. Likewise, sometimes the workers cannot be found and there is some reluctance from those drivers that drove to volunteer again, since they probably drove a long time only not to find the worker.

Veronica let me know that the workers often time can afford a ride and she can get funds in the event of this not being a “volunteer run” service. Marita similarly expressed that “most workers are willing to pay.” The sustainability of this would lie in these groups’ funds to subsidize amount of money that workers would have to pay for rides.

One option that drivers currently have is to get rides from their farm owners. Nonetheless, it is a process where they can only go into the store to get what they want and get out as soon as possible. They do not have time to “look around” or have any leisure time. Having an app similar to Uber would allow them to see who is free after their first ride to pick them up, for instance. Veronica also said that she serves as the “middle” between workers and drivers often times (she gets texts from workers / she is the go to), which results in an overwhelming situation. She brought up the fact that other needs to consider are doctors’ appointments and driving to stores, which I will incorporate into the app one way or the other.

I spoke with Norm, a volunteer driver, that same day and he said that while his Spanish helps him get by, it would be good to have a dispatcher in the event when there is a language barrier. (I was envisioning a hotline of sort). He explained to me that there are women that need to go to doctors’ appointments because they are pregnant, and that while he is totally fine taking them, there has to be some sort of sensitivity. He has a map that already has major farms and volunteer drivers’ addresses, which could help in the developing the app. Him and Kathy (also part of the Migrant Ally group), suggested having a flat rate of $10 would be do able for the workers.

I then spoke with Tony, the migrant farm worker and he said that it is definitely a good price, seeing that they pay up to $45 or $50 for a ride (that be from taxi or people that take advantage of them and up the prices).

Kathy elaborated that there are already 60 volunteer drivers and 50 workers they are in contact with, so the existing numbers will help create the network and demand for this app, in addition to the numbers that Migrant Justice already has.

One thing that Veronica emphasized is that there needs to be trust and relationship when developing the app, which I already have a bit of from working with the migrant workers through the English lessons here at Middlebury with JUNTOS.”