About Us

Responsibility is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that for over 25 years has had a huge impact on the children living in and around the garbage dumps of Tijuana, Mexico and Matagalpa, Nicaragua.
Responsibility’s Mission
“Our mission is to provide necessary education where no else will or is able.”
For decades, generations of people known as pepenadores have earned a living in Tijuana’s oldest municipal dump, only miles from the San Diego border, picking through tons of trash for recyclable goods. Children, as young as two were involved in picking through glass to add to the family income. However, miracles can and are happening at this school. Thanks to the help of Responsibility, instead of growing up picking through trash, these children now have the opportunity to receive an invaluable education that will benefit their families for years to come.
To date, Responsibility has given a horizon beyond the smell, flies, and refuse to more than 6,000 students who have participated in our education programs.
Become Our Partner!

Every day of the year, Responsibility helps hundreds of children and their families change their lives through education and support.
You can help us continue our mission to support some of the neediest children on earth.
Working in Mexico: Since 1983, we have been educating the poverty-stricken preschoolers through adults who live on the perimeters of the actual Tijuana municipal garbage dump. We operate two schools, a kindergarten and a computer/art school for all the residents of the area.
Working in Nicaragua: Since 2008, Responsibility has been working with the scavengers of the Matagalpa city dump. Our first completed project was building drinking water cisterns for the scavengers who for years had been drinking from a polluted river that ran through the dump. We also built a kindergarten and operate an elementary school for the children who work part of the day and attend school the other part of the day. At present, we have over 550 students.
Working in the United States of America: Responsibility has an educational program for American students. David Lynch is often a guest speaker at all levels of school from kindergarten to college. High School students complete their social service work hours needed for graduation at our school and college students have done their student teaching in our classrooms. . Other U. S. students do projects for Escuela David Lynch at their own schools such as concerts, bake sales, car washes, and theatrical performances. Hundreds of San Diegan High School students play Santa to individual children living in Tijuana. The number of United States students that are involved with Responsibility’s school in some way is over 2,500.