Between 1st and 6th grade, the Mexican government pays for all school costs.

However, after the 6th grade, kids have to pay for text books, uniforms and other school fees. Since many families struggle to cover daily costs, many children are forced to drop out of school.

 

Just $400 to $600 a year will get a child through another grade. And every year of school means a child is that much closer to breaking the cycle of poverty. In addition, higher education tends to keep children away from the violence of the numerous gangs in Mexico.

Your donations will help keep a child in school - and make a long-term difference in Mexico.

Due to the global economic situation, more and more people are going hungry in Mexico. People are struggling to pay for the basic necessity of food.

In fact, according to the World Food Program, 7.5 percent of children under the age of five in Mexico suffer from malnutrition, accounting for 836,000 children. In addition, hunger can lead to desperation, which only supports the rise of violence and gang-related activity in the country.

No child, woman or man should go to bed hungry, or worse, die from starvation.

Your donations will help feed the starving in Mexico.

In the United States, a medical situation can equal financial disaster. This is even more true for the impoverished in Mexico, who often are forced to go without care. According to the 2008

World Bank Indicators, 20.4 percent of the Mexican population earn less than $2 a day and 4.5 percent earn less than $1 a day.

Such poverty means that often people cannot pay for basic medical care.

Your donations will help cover medical bills and purchase medication for those who cannot afford it. 

In the areas in Mexico where we do work, numerous families live in inadequate homes with weak walls, dirt floors, no plumbing and tiny space. People are not necessarily homeless, but they live in houses that are not safe nor sturdy.

We help build or provide money for families to build a modest house. Just $5000 will build a block home with one main room, concrete floors, a sturdy roof and plumbing. It is still modest compared to U.S. standards, but it is a safe place for parents to proudly raise their family.

According to Amnesty International, one in four women in Mexico are abused by their partners. As though that statistic is not chilling enough, the BBC reported that 1,000 Mexican girls and women are murdered every year in domestic violence. That means a girl or woman is murdered in Mexico

  every eight hours.

Raquel is a Juarez local who is committed to empowering women. She meets one-on-one with women in the community to provide support and help report abuse situations. In addition, she supports indigenous people groups in the community and serves as a liaison to bring aid to those in need.

Your donations will help Raquel’s work to break the pattern of domestic abuse.