George Childs lives in Fresnillo, Mexico where he works as a Missionary.
The issue of poverty in Fresnillo is so complex that an unstudied observer struggles to begin an analysis. Individual problems can obscure systemic injustices. It’s hard to see the forest for the trees.
I’ve just arrived home from the championship of the local soccer children and adult leagues. The trophy ceremony was disbanded after numerous fights between gang members made it dangerous to continue. I have always been a proponent of the right to bear arms, but living in this neighborhood has made me glad for Mexico’s prohibition of civilian weaponry, and today we saw no more than knives and rocks.
At the risk of sounding myopic, Alcoholism is the most visible obstacle to advancement for most families in my neighborhood. Drugs, prostitution, and alcohol often consume a husband’s income before family is able to benefit from it.
Lack of employment opportunities seems to be another great disadvantage for those who live in my city. Education opens doors for many, but the schools in our disadvantaged area seem to suffer from the same setbacks as everything else. More specifically, these schools seem to suffer from lack of resources, lack of qualified instructors, and a general cultural devaluing of education. Good English language education would be an invaluable tool for many, lifting them out of the limited confines of our city and enabling them to compete in the global job market. Most of the children graduating from our local junior high school are not prepared to enter high school; the majority of them never will.
On a larger scale, we see corruption at almost every level of government and law enforcement. Corruption stifles business and progress and is the main thing I see standing between Mexico and economic success. I believe corruption begins at a very early age and the approach our organization has taken to fighting it is religious and moral education from a very early age. I see character, hope, and love, as antidotes to corruption, alcoholism, and apathy. This is not a short term fix but it could be a lasting one.
George Childs
Fresnillo, Mexico
Filed under: Fighting Poverty, Mexico, Perspectives on Poverty | Tagged: poverty
