Our work in Mexico

A country that shares a border with the United States, Mexico often has a cost of living similar to the U.S. but with much lower income opportunities. This makes life very challenging for families living in poverty.

Many families live "al dia" (day by day). They earn just enough money for that day’s immediate needs. CFCA provides education, nutrition and income-generating initiatives to bring hope to families through four projects – Merida, Cuernavaca, Santa Catarina and Guadalupe.

Hope for a Family sponsorship in Mexico provides many benefits, including annual education fees, school uniforms and supplies, food baskets and medical checkups. Sponsored friends also receive gifts for their birthdays and Christmas.

Sponsored children are not the only ones to benefit from education. Several training workshops for the parents of sponsored members teach them a new trade to help them earn income.

Livelihood programs inspire hope

A mother in Mexico shows CFCA sponsor Johnny
DeBlieux part of the hammock-making livelihood
program during a mission awareness trip.

CFCA’s Mexico programs encourage active community participation. Some sponsorship programs are implemented by committees made up of mothers from the community.

The committees allow families to make decisions that affect their community, and select benefits that best meet their needs. Every mother from the project participates in a mothers group or committee. They were created among families who live close to one another and share CFCA membership.

The groups foster a sense of belonging, teamwork and solidarity. The goal of the mothers groups is to develop activities that encourage relationships, self-help among the mothers and livelihood programs. Both the community committees and the mothers groups foster a "be more" attitude among sponsored members.

Through their responsibilities to the group and the diversified benefits they receive, they see sponsorship as much more than a charity program helping "the poor." Instead, they’re inspired to dream for their future and work toward achieving those dreams. Families are empowered to be responsible for their personal development, as well as the development of their communities.

CFCA livelihood programs teach skills such as hammock-making, farming, tailoring, food preparation, animal husbandry and more. These programs empower families to become self-sufficient and build a better life for themselves.

Sharing perspectives in a worldwide community

While many projects were conducting solidarity walks during Walk2gether, a nearly 8,000-mile walk in Latin America led by CFCA President Bob Hentzen, the Cuernavaca project promoted a "chain of good works" campaign where CFCA members performed good deeds for others in their community.

In one example, a sponsored child, Fredy, helped a schoolmate with math homework. He did not formerly get along with this boy, Fredy said, but decided to help him anyway. Another sponsored child, Itzel, provided a snack and water to a lonely elderly woman. The woman was very appreciative, and Itzel promised to visit her from now on. "I felt so good that I am going to find other elderly people who are alone and show them some love," she said.

The Guadalupe project staff also seeks to build community and solidarity among families from different communities who move to other areas of Mexico looking for work. These families often live far from family and friends.

Two families came to the area to find job opportunities. Both lived and slept in one-room homes. The project staff saw the similarities in each family's needs, introduced the families to one another and gave them materials to improve their homes with their own skills and labor. The families have become good friends, and worked together on both homes to provide a better quality of life.

Scholars give back through service

CFCA projects in Mexico provide scholarships to older youth to help them complete their education.

As part of the scholarship’s service component, the youth participate in the Hope for a Family program and assist younger sponsored children. These "service scholars" teach about personal health and hygiene, tutor younger sponsored children, offer sports activities and more.

When Marcela entered the CFCA scholarship program, she was shy and insecure about her public speaking skills. Marcela's confidence grew as she helped with CFCA workshops, home visits and other service scholar activities.

"CFCA has transformed my life in a way that has changed my attitude, without losing my essence, my heritage, and most importantly, who I am," she said. You can read more in a blog post about Marcela.