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My vision is that no one who served this country will ever be abandoned again.
Rafael Garza Medrano /
Country Manager Mexico
I am Rafa Garza, I’m from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and I currently serve as Country Manager for inDrive Mexico.
helpingI lead an incredible team focused on making mobility fair, accessible, and people-centered across one of the most dynamic and complex markets in Latin America. I believe in building systems that empower people — not just through technology, but through purpose.
helpingBefore joining inDrive, I was for some years an immigrant in the United States and saw first hand how its society values and supports through thousands of organizations and a robust Veterans Affairs system the members of the society that served their country, seeking to ensure their well being, education and return to civil society.
When I returned to Mexico, I realized that here, our service members receive almost no support once they leave the service. Many are left completely on their own after years of service. That contrast was striking — and painful to see.
helpingEvery year, over 15,000 men and women leave the armed forces. Only 40% retire with benefits. The rest step into civilian life with no formal support, often facing rejection, unemployment, and social isolation. Many end up in low-paying security jobs, regardless of the skills they built in service and the personal sacrifices they made to their country and community.
This initiative became OFEC - Operación Finalmente en Casa, or Operation Finally in Home - whose mission is to help Mexican servicemen and servicewomen transition toward a dignified and self-sufficient life, to ensure that their service and sacrifice are not forgotten.
After witnessing these contrasts, I decided to take action with purpose, so I founded an initiative to support Mexican ex-military members, single mothers, and their children through education, childcare, and job opportunities.
helpingTo change that reality, OFEC works on four core pillars:
Mental health - therapy and PTSD programs designed specifically for veterans.
Family support - childcare, counseling, and assistance for widows and children.
Employment - training, career transition, and partnerships that open real opportunities beyond security jobs.
Education - scholarships and academic support for both veterans and their families.
Through OFEC, she received childcare and training that allowed her to finish her studies and secure a stable career and source of income.
One widow we supported lost her husband in service, leaving her alone with two children and no clear path forward.
helpingToday, her daughter is receiving a quality primary education at one of our partner institutions with a scholarship that makes it possible. That is the essence of OFEC: transforming sacrifice into opportunity, and loss into hope.
helpingFor me, OFEC is about more than veterans — it’s about building a stronger, fairer and more humane Mexico. It’s about honoring sacrifice, defending dignity, and ensuring that our communities and their guardians always come first.
I hope OFEC and other civil society organizations spur consciousness in Mexican society — and enact changes on how Mexico supports its veterans and their families. My vision is that no one who served our communities will ever be abandoned again.
helpingThat every child of a fallen soldier has the same chance at education and success as any other child. That dignity is not negotiable and that sacrifice does not mean being forsaken.
helpingThis mission is one of my life’s callings. As a child, I learned firsthand what it means to grow up without opportunities, to struggle for survival. That experience gave me an unshakable belief that everyone deserves a fair chance in life, more so ones that sacrifice their personal and family’s wellbeing for the rest of us.
helpingI joined inDrive because its supermission truly resonated with me. I’ve spent my career in tech and mobility, helping companies grow while keeping people at the center of every decision. In an age where AI seeks to replace humans, people driven companies have an inherent added value others do not have. That is what drew me to inDrive, since it is more than a platform — it’s a movement that challenges unfair systems, injustices in life and opportunities and gives people back their voice and freedom of choice. That sense of purpose, of fighting for fairness, aligns perfectly with what I believe in and is a source for passion and happiness in my presence at this great community we call inDrive.
