On the Streets
14/06/2006
Poverty and unemployment drive people from the country to the urban areas as they are desperate to earn money and support their families. Shanty towns emerge next to highly developed cities, where growing number of unloved children are highlighting the stark contrast in wealth and gross inequality. Their families cannot afford to live in proper houses. 3.5 million young children have to work to support themselves and their families. Many of them live on the streets having been orphaned or abandoned and abuse is often a part of their lives. Some of them will shortly be moving into our new village to start new lives as part of new families.
SOS Children has been working in Mexico since 1971 to give some of these street children a permanent home, security and love.
We are currently providing a family life to over 250 children who live at the seven SOS Children’s Villages in Mexico. They begin their education at one of our four SOS Nursery Schools and then move on to SOS Primary and Secondary schools and eventually to our Vocational Training Centers. All these educational facilities, together with our social and medical centers, are also open to children and families from local communities.
In this World Cup year, as part of the FIFA/SOS “6 Villages for 2006” campaign, we will be opening a new Village in Morelia,the capital of Michoacan state. Located 6,000 feet above sea level, Morelia is a busy modern city about the same size as Glasgow. It has many ancient and beautiful buildings but it is also home to many children who have been abandoned by their families. Adoption is a complicated and difficult process in Mexico so there are a growing number of children desperately trying to fend for themselves.
Some of them will shortly be moving into our new villages to start new lives as a part of new families.
Eagerly Waiting for Their New Friends
The new SOS Children's Village in Morelia will make difference not only to the children that will live there but also to the children who live nearby. A young football fan Ramon is a seven-year-old boy who lives in the neighbourhood of Morelia where the new SOS Children's Village in Mexico is being constructed. His favourite sport is football and together with his friends Juanito, Beto and Chinto they play in the street and outside their houses as there are no football pitches nearby. All of them would like to play on a real pitch someday!
Back to Summer 2006 Newsletter Contents.
Relevant Countries: Mexico.