Buckner International

Most people cannot imagine their children even walking on a trash dump, let alone digging through it for something to eat.

But scavenging for survival is a way of life for countless hungry and malnourished children in Mexico who live in marginal communities near the landfills (trash dumps) of Mexico City and Oaxaca.

Most of the families in this area survive on about 800 pesos, or $67, a week. Somehow, families try to make this meager amount pay for everything from housing, food, and clothing to water, propane or firewood, transportation—and health care. Life is incredibly difficult in such a hopeless setting.

Life-Changing Partnership

Because of the generosity of many contributing friends, Buckner has developed several community centers and feeding ministries in the slums of Guanajuato, Oaxaca and Mexico City. Our efforts are focused on three main feeding programs: Trigo y Miel and Mefiboset in Oaxaca and Mana in Neza.

At Trigo y Miel, for example, 210 children are fed six days a week. The center also distributed humanitarian aid to families in the area that were affected by flooding last summer and fall. The Mefiboset center feeds 171 children six days a week, and 14 children attend an after-school tutoring program. At Mana, 74 children are participating in the feeding program. Each Saturday, they also participate in craft and recreational activities.

Along with warm meals for the children, these centers are helping families improve their lives. Over the summer, 113 parents attended classes at the three centers. Job skills training is becoming a top priority; the two Oaxaca centers started a pilot program to help families develop gardens; and the Mana center has helped 10 families establish a hydroponics gardening project. Health care has also been provided, as well as hygiene classes.

We appreciate your support for Buckner’s work; your ongoing contributions will allow us to impact more children and their families. That you for helping create an environment of hope in these communities.