When You Can’t Feed Your Children

This migration story is part of a series of stories supporting our Holiday Season Fundraising Campaign. Please consider a donation to help families and children before they become so desperate, they make this harrowing journey. Thank you.

When You Can’t Feed Your Children

While recently driving in Mexico, Greg and I saw thousands of migrants walking north. We both cried as we captured this short video of HUNDREDS of people walking. And it kept going, long after I stopped recording. I can’t even get my head around the depth of desperation and the amount of courage this takes.

There were individuals and families from Central and South America. As well as Haiti and other countries. There were many Guatemalans, Venezuelans and El Salvadorians all walking in hopes of a better future.  

We spoke to a few of them at various stops and the stories were heartbreaking. They walk up to 25km (16 miles) a day in blistering heat. They carry nothing but small backpacks. We saw many parents pushing strollers or carrying their little ones in their arms or on their shoulders. We even saw someone being pushed in a wheelchair! We follow the news stories online about the risks these individuals face with smugglers, the drug cartel and corrupt police. 

THIS. This is why we do this work. When families are left with so few options, the desperation becomes immense. When the situation in their home country offers no hope and very few alternatives, they succumb to the hope of a possible better life. Unfortunately, they often don’t know about the dangers and risks they will encounter. They don’t know the percentage that don’t make it because of arrest, deportation and death. 

At Project Somos, we work with children and their families on “migration prevention”. We know that when the family has some relief of receiving one nutritious meal a day, this can ease much of the burden. We know that when children are educated and their minds are opened, they are more likely to find employment or be entrepreneurial in their own country. We also know that when a child loses a parent (or parents) to migration they rarely see that parent again and are left without a loving family. The psychological repercussions are great. 

Over the last number of years we have learned of more and more local men leaving their families for this treacherous journey. Ingrid, our psychologist is on staff to provide support to children and women left behind. 

Your donation helps keep Guatemalans in Guatemala, where they can make a difference in their own country. Your donation can provide psychological support to a child suffering from losing a parent to migration. It can also help prevent a child from even considering this dangerous choice. 

Your help is greatly appreciated today.

Love Heather and Greg.