Ruffo Ibarra was already immersed in humanitarian work as a child thanks to his mother, and became involved early in his career as a chef with World Central Kitchen, where he served sandwiches to Haitian refugees at the border. Today, he remains as committed as ever, with collaborations for WCK, but also for other foundations such as the Tijuana Sin Hambre project and This Is About Humanity. The latter was successfully presented by members of the Mexican Bocuse d’Or delegation at the Social Commitment Award 2023.
Foundation
Tijuana sin Hambre
Born in April 2020, in the heart of the Covid pandemic, Tijuana sin Hambre has become a pillar in the fight against hunger in Tijuana in record time. Founded by Maru Riqué and her husband Fausto Vargas, the foundation embodies the spirit of solidarity and resilience of Mexican society.
With over 3,500 meals distributed to 30 shelters in Tijuana particularly homeless community, unaccompanied minors, orphanages and others, the foundation fights against food insecurity, with the extraordinary support and commitment with over 2,500 volunteers annually on both sides of the border.
“For me, it’s important to always get up with a purpose, and today it’s an honor and a privilege to be able to help people when they’re probably in the worst moment of their lives,” explains Maru Riqué.
The chef of Tijuana’s Oryx gourmet restaurant, Ruffo Ibarra, is also deeply committed to the initiative: “Our job is to feed people, we’re in the service business and I’ve always felt that my mission was to serve. Food is one of the tools of service. It changed my life.”
These visions perfectly embody the spirit of Tijuana Sin Hambre: to offer not just food, but dignity and hope to those who need it most.
