The AjA Project
As youth who have fled refugee camps and immigrated into City Heights, it takes a lot of encouragement to understand one's identity. Sandra Ainslie, Executive Director of the AjA Project (AjA is an acronym for "supporting self-sufficiency" in Spanish: "Autosuficiencia Juntada con Apoyo.") faced the realities of refugee issues head-on when she was in Uganda. A photographer, with a degree in anthropology, the study of human behavior, she has a particular interest in culture, human justice and the power of images. While in Uganda she discovered that her camera could be a tool to capture and help others identify with these issues.

Sandra's previous experiences helped in shaping the way the organization is led. Children affected by war have - by their choices, their actions and expressions - a unique opportunity to raise global awareness and to break the cycle of violence. The AjA Project was founded on the principles of self-sufficiency, with a goal to encourage refugee youth in City Heights to explore identity and develop communication and leadership skills, both for the individual and their community.
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Emma's House
In 1903, Emma Schnugg was born in a little Victorian house that is situated on the 3700 block of El Cajon Boulevard. The building was originally set in National City, built in the early 1880's. The dwelling exemplifies the architectural and social development of a housing district adjacent to the railroad being developed in National City. In 1893, the house was moved by oxcart to its current location.

The development along El Cajon Boulevard between 1902 and the 1920's represents a period of growth and affluence, and the daughter of Albert Hill, Emma Schnugg, and lived till 93, spent her entire life in this house and witnessed a century of dramatic development.
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Featured Utility Box
Artist Daniel Klisser depicts the early development of Historic Highway 80 along El Cajon Boulevard, when there was little to be seen besides open land and scattered homes, such as the little Victorian house that is still situated on the 3700 block of El Cajon Boulevard, where Emma Schnugg was born.