A Home for Street Children in Guadalajara, Mexico
To make a meaningful change in the life of the children at this homeless shelter. To build a home where the orphans will benefit in the short and long term. To provide the resources and financial support for the first 5 years or until the programme is absolutely self sufficient.
With anything up to 2,500 street children in GDL there is a need to provide the basic things, housing, food, medical care, psychological support and education to escape the dangers of the streets. Life on the streets presents a world of problems, with these children often subject to abuse and exploitation; turning to begging, stealing, prostitution and drugs to survive.
First the most basic needs, acquiring a house equipped with solar energy, eco friendly toilets, also creating a vegetable garden therefore making the project self sustainable in less than 5 years. With children who have had to face so many issues and hardships at such a young age it's really important that we provide the support of psychologists and provide proper medical care. We will ensure the children have the opportunity to gain an education and provide skills training.
To provide a self sustainable multi utility shelter for 20 homeless children
Activities» Building a self sustainable shelter, with solar energy, ecological toilets, recycling culture, a 10mt x 10mt vegetable farm
» Create a place for a food bank, gathering food from different markets and restaurants, create set a soup kitchen for the homeless
» Creating a central point of help for the community, keeping the old traditions, using only biodegradable products, creating an eco friendly culture
» Psychiatrist, doctors, nurses, physiotherapist and anyone else working for the shelter will also give time to community work
Success will be the safe housing of 20 children in this home and off of the streets away from harm. The self sustainability will be demonstrated by decreased expenses.
To provide educational opportunities to these children along with skills training
Activities» We will partner with local schools to provide education and after school programmes for those falling behind
» We will partner with local businesses for skills training, holding workshops for welding, carpentry, electrical, construction and arts
Success will be enrolling all children into school, attendance and achievement records will be kept for each orphan and reported to stakeholders & supporters.
Start making real changes in this orphanage, in one of the poorest communities
Activities» Locate the shelter in a strategic spot where it will have a larger impact on the kids and their community, close to schools and recreational areas.
» Provide a space for a food bank and help the kids and the community
» Create a small backyard farm to supply vegetables for the kids and implement a community programme for backyard farming and self sustainability.
» Prepare the kids for their adult life, and plant the seed of charity and self-esteem, and make this an ongoing project interactive with the community.
Success will be the day to day operation of the facility. Video diaries will be made documenting the developments. Blogs will be posted on the website.
To provide the much needed support of social workers and psychologists for the children
Activities» The home will employ qualified staff to provide these services
Success will be having available staff to work with the children giving them support they desperately need.
The project will provide a permanent safe home for the children. By providing education and skills training these children will become employable and will not need to return to the streets. The shelter will become an integral part of the community and offer welfare to the local residents. The aim is to bring long term attitude changes, build a community spirit, build people’s self esteem, ultimately enabling the community to become self sustaining.
Finding qualified staff to help build the self sustainable home and to provide the medical, psychological and educational support required. Through our links with other organisations in GDL we have already sourced volunteers and potential employees who are ready to start as soon as we have secured funding for this project.
The street children will benefit from this project but there is a wider value than that. The presence of street children causes greater problems within the community and to reduce the number of street children will benefit the community as a whole. In addition we will be employing Mexican staff so there will be job creation as a result of this project. The community will benefit as a result of the proper running of the shelter, our outreach programme will benefit hundreds of children.
We have worked in Guadalajara for the last year. The project was founded out of seeing a need and seeing the appalling conditions these children were living in. We have volunteers situated in Guadalajara, of Mexican origin. We have done research and have engaged with the community. We have had very positive feedback. We work with the community’s local to our projects to develop sustainable programmes, with the intention that long term they will be able to take full ownership of the projects.