Prevent mexican children from living in the street

The Foundation Pro Niños de la Calle, through its Family Care Program is currently working with 21 families who have children at risk of living on the streets, giving support to parents and caregivers in developing skills to solve their own problems, get closer to their children and offer them better living conditions. In this Program the Foundation also offers comprehensive care for children so they can handle those situations that put them at risk of living on the streets.

In this article, Pro Niños wants to share the story of Sandra and her family, as told by her. In order to protect her identity, all the names mentioned here are fictitious.

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My name is Sandra and I am 34 years old. I enjoy cooking and as a matter of fact, I recently set up a food stand. I would also like to finish my studies, because I only completed primary school, but I want to improve myself and learn more.

I have three children; the oldest, Javier, is 10 years old. It has taken me a lot of work to handle his learning, because of what he has in his little head, in his neurons. It is hard for me to teach him, but I don’t give up, I keep insisting. My other child is Fernando, he is seven years old. He is affectionate and very attentive to his siblings. Ceci the youngest is three years old; she is always talking and talking. The three of them are very special to me.

I decided to approach Pro Niños, first because of my three brothers, the Foundation had supported two of them, who were living on the street and on drugs, but then later my brothers no longer wanted help from them; so the Foundation began working with my son Javier. I was afraid for him, because he always asks me why my brothers sleep on the street. When I reprimand Javier for something, he tells me that he no longer wants to live at home, that he’s going to live in the streets. I then try and explain to him that the street is not a place for anyone, although it is very difficult for me to find the right words for him to understand.

When I was young, it was very difficult to see that my brothers were living on the street because my father took them with him; I was the only one who got away from the situation because I went to live with my grandmother. When my father died, I tried to take care of my brothers, but I couldn’t. This is still painful for me, and I don’t want my child to get into the same situation.

Estelita, who is an educator at Pro Niños, works with me and my children to learn how to stay close and work as a family. I’ve learned to talk with my children and to understand how they feel.

With the support of Pro Niños we’ve had many changes. My son Javier has greatly improved at school thanks to the special attention that he has had from the psychologist and with the help of medication. The foundation also granted him a scholarship and with this he has become more self-sufficient.

 What I want now is to learn more and to know how I can get ahead and move forward with my family. Not everyone is born knowing how to be parents; you have to grow along with your children.

Links:

• Web site Fundacion Pro Ninos de la Calle, I.A.P.

We would like to share with you, the history of the Gutiérrez family, which has been attended through The Family Care Program since October 2013 when we first met them.

The family consists of the grandmother, further to be called Mrs. L in order to protect her identity, and her grandchildren A and T.

The first contact with Pro Niños was established by Mrs. L due to her great concerns about her grandchildren. The 12-year-old A and the 7-year-old T had been living all their early childhood in a situation of extreme violence and lack of attention , caused by her mother’s and her life partner problems of addiction, which make it impossible for them to look after their sons needs and safety.

The situation of violence A and T had to experience generated violent conducts and problems in their development during the following years of their lives, which induced their grandmother to take care of them.

Mrs. L is a 56 years old resilient woman. To be able to provide her grandchildren with everything they need, she sells catalog products and works as a hairstylist. These activities allow her to take care of her grandchildren during the day and to accompany them constantly through their different activities such as their therapeutic treatments and the workshops offered by Pro Niños.

A, the older brother, attends 6th grade of elementary school, he cares a lot about his appearance, and likes to go to school well dressed and neat. He also loves to play soccer and videogames. Occasionally he shows difficulties relating with adults, having violent conducts that makes it hard for him to establish relationships with other people, even with his own brother.

For a period A was living in an institution, later on he moved back in with his parents, suffering again abandonment and violence. Therefore his grandma decided to take on the responsibility for taking care of him.

T, the younger brother, is a cordial, empathic and curious boy. He is in second year of elementary school and has gradually improved his grades. Thanks to the support of Pro Niños it was possible to diagnose him with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He is receiving a treatment with which he has gained a greater emotional stability. T plays soccer and takes swimming classes in the afternoons, activities which help him a lot in his physical, mental and emotional development.

Through one and a half year, Pro Niños has helped Mrs. L to identify her relationship’s style with her grandchildren, to recognize the abilities of breeding she needs to develop, and to believe in her strengths. She actively participates in the improvement of the family-bonds and atmosphere attending promptly the different activities which allow her to develop her abilities. The children had been able to establish a healthier relationship with their grandmother, developing a greater emotional stability thanks to a continuous psychological attention. Their sport activities have helped them to develop psychomotor skills, increase their concentration, security and to recognize their strengths.

A challenge to the Gutiérrez family is to achieve a more assertive communication on the part of Mrs. L, establishing clear and flexible rules, based on the age and development of each of her grandchildren. That way she can continue to construct a safe environment, decreasing the possibility that her grandchildren, due to their emotional instability, leave their home to live on the street.

Later on we will tell you more about the progress of the Gutiérrez family and everything that happens with them thanks to your participation, which supports their extensive attention and those of the other families.