This family lived in the slums outside of San Jose del Cabo (known locally as the “colonies”). Like thousands of other families, this mother and her children lived in abject poverty.

Typical housing in the slums consists of plywood walls and tar paper roofs at best. There are limited, and more often no basic services including running water or sanitation. Gangs, crime, and violence are commonplace.

One of the children in this family was receiving treatments for leukemia in a medical facility located 2½ hours from their home. Traveling this distance by bus on a regular basis with her severely ill son was not only financially and emotionally devastating, the mother was also forced to leave her other children in the care of others in these slums for days where they were badly neglected, did not eat properly, and stopped attending school. Sadly, the ill child passed away and the mother has returned to the colonies where she lives today with her surviving children.

In the last decade in Mexico, cancer has become the leading cause of mortality among children between the ages of four and 15. Moreover, there is a prevalence of leukemia, especially in children 0-4 years of age. Children are not, however, the only segment of the population with a high rate of cancer. In 2020, there were nearly 8,000 deaths from breast cancer, the vast majority of which were women. In fact, Baja California Sur has the third highest rate of breast cancer in all of Mexico.  Consequently, whether it is the child or the mother who is ill, children are frequently left to suffer unimaginable neglect.

The new facility is intended to provide a temporary home for children such as those left behind by the unfortunate mother in our real-life example. It will shelter, feed, and educate these children — in a loving, safe, and nurturing environment until family reunification is possible — without cost to the families. In addition to attending public school, children residing at the home will be taught age-appropriate leadership skills such as conflict resolution, collaboration, teamwork, and environmental stewardship, so that they can take these skills and knowledge back to their original communities.