ORPHAN CRISIS IN MEXICO
The Republic of Mexico has a total population of 127 million people. Mexico City is one of biggest cities in the world, with a total of nine million people. Mexico has a growing economy through international tourism. However, the gap between the rich and poor is growing larger, especially in urban areas. Mexico has a high rate of violence and poverty that has resulted in desperate families leaving children unattended to find seasonal work or completely abandoning them. Poor and rural communities lack policing and security. Therefore, these areas have become a popular drug-and human-trafficking hub. According to the Latin Foster Care Network, approximately 400,000 children in Mexico are without a family. These children are at risk of being recruited to gangs, forced into child labor and human trafficking rings. They need the immediate safety of homes like Alpha and Omega Home to protect them from the vulnerabilities they would otherwise face.
ALPHA AND OMEGA CHILDREN’S HOME
In 1992, Pastor Elias Herrera and his wife, Teresa, stumbled upon a group of abandoned children living under a bridge. In that moment, God laid in on their hearts to care for vulnerable and orphaned children. They started by just taking the children to Sunday school and feeding them. With the help of their church, they began the Alpha and Omega Children’s Home. Today, over 60 children happily reside and are educated on this beautiful, mountainside campus. While monthly sponsorship programs provide a limited amount of income, much more financial support is needed for the future sustainability and continued hope of Alpha and Omega.
Serving Orphans Worldwide travels to every orphanage we partner with to ensure needs are legitimate and 100% of funds distributed goes to the livelihood of the children.
PROMINENT ISSUES
Abandonment
Many children are abandoned in Mexico because of domestic violence and abuse, poverty, or because their families have fled to the U.S. Many abandoned children wander the streets, where they work and are more prone to suffer from exploitation.
Abuse
Living in poverty, children in Mexico are more prone to abuse in their homes and in school. Compared to other countries, Mexico has one of the highest rates of child death from abuse.
Drug Abuse and Crime
Many children in this part of Mexico are surrounded by cartel activity. Many gangs recruit from among the poorest neighborhoods. For many, earning money through criminal activity and the drug trade is more appealing than the alternative of extreme poverty.
HOME
Alpha and Omega home resides in the beautiful mountains of Mexico, and the stairs are literally carved from the rock it rests on. Currently it is comprised of 5 completed buildings. The school building has offices and 8 classrooms. The property also has a prayer tower, kitchen and dining hall, boys and girls dorms, each with 4 bedrooms and multiple functioning bathrooms.
EDUCATION
Children who are in kindergarten through 6th grade go to school on premises, and the children who are in 7th through 12th grade or in university attend a public school off-site. The home provides the necessary funds each week so that the children can have proper school supplies and transportation.
FAITH
The home sees to it that all children attend church and own their own copy of God’s Word. The home stands firms on God’s faithfulness, trusting him to always work out his plans. They say that God gives them what they need just at the right time.
HEALTH
The children have access to proper medical care, and are always taken care of when they are sick. The children are served 3 nourishing meals a day, and receives most of its food from the land and livestock which they farm, providing a source of sustainability. Thanks to a generous donor, the home now has access to clean water 24/7, a sure way to prevent water borne illnesses among the children.
SPONSOR THIS HOME
Alpha & Omega Mexico – Goal to meet for this year
$1,250 of $15,000 raised
This year, we have a goal to help improve the quality of care for these amazing children, and we need your help. Your gift will help provide education, a safe home, health, and adult mentors who can share the Love of Christ. Our promise to you is that 100% will go directly to the home.
