In most places you visit in Mexico, there
are children on the street selling gum or other goodies. This is one of
the most haunting images one takes home. These children are usually around
three to six years of age, they are apparently working to survive. There
seems to be a great divide between the "haves" and the "have nots" in
Mexico.
However, I must remember 20 years ago when I first came to Mexico, I
was in Mexico City writting a marketing manual. The company who had
contracted me had their offices right downtown a block or so from the US
Embasy. As I think about it, I thought, I had seen some poverty. But as I
sat in the plush office building, in a corner office - glass floor to
ceiling on two sides, I wittnessed something that has stuck in my mind
every sense that day and motivated me to Create The Homeless Children's
Network To Help The Homeless Children Of Mexico.
I looked over across the street one morning and saw a group of children
inside a vacent lot, which was enclosed by corrogated roofing materal.
Upon closer inspection I saw children taking a bath under a garden hose
type thing. The next day they were gone. Then a week later they were back.
I really paid attention this time. There seem to be six or eight, there
was a fire going (to me it was really cold), but they had to be freezing.
They were washing cloths, such as they were, as well as bathing
themselves. They ranged from 2 or 3 years of age to, maybe 15 or so. I
asked one of the executives about it and was told. There are groups of
homeless kids like that all over Mexico City, the Police won't let them
stay in that lot or they will build a shack, so the Police keep them
moving, but they returned to this lot once a week to take a bath and wash
their cloths.
I like to remember a quote from one of my many books on Mexico. To
paraphrase: "Poverty is more widespread in Mexico than unhappiness." You
certainly do see people enjoying themselves. It is easy to watch, in most
cities or villages, you can sit on a bench on the Plaza and watch families
from all walks of life bring their children out on the town. Toddlers
barely able to walk eye each other across the square. Families come out in
full force, the Mexican people are warm, friendly and simply do with what
they have! That is, the ones you see. The children with no familys are
like outcast, inless they have some gum or something to sell, you do not
see them. It is these Children that the HCN works with. The homeless
abanded children, where life or help for that matter, seems hopeless. The
Homeless Children's Network can touch these children, put some hope in
their lives, because of You and others like you; our Sponsors Who Support
HCN and Our Outreach Programs.
Sreet Kids Ministry