did you know homeless shelters don't exist in Mexico?
you know why? because if they did, the streets would be empty- and every shelter in the country would be beyond capacity.
in america, I've seen beggars.
but not like the beggars in Mexico.
nothing like it.
the beggars in Mexico are selling tatted shirts off their backs (not an exaggeration, I'm dead serious) and the shoes off their feet.
they beggars in Mexico are 5, and 6 years old and barefoot. with dirty faces.
every morning, I came out of my hotel room in an inner city area, i was greeted by two young smiling boys who asked me the same question every morning. "pesos, porforvor."
they caught onto me when they noticed me walking every morning to get coffee, they followed behind me a few feet, because I think they heard the jingling coins in my pocket. at first I thought they were cute, and then as they approached me I looked at their dirty faces, their rotting teeth, and their bare feet. and I said, "where are your shoes?" and they said, "we don't have any."
and I said, "where are your parents, does someone care for you?" and they shook their heads.
and I said, "where do you come from, where do you sleep at night?"
and they pointed just behind the corner of a building, on the edge of the sidewalk, two boxes were positioned sideways, so you could crawl into them. with newspaper in them.
and then they looked back up at me and, they were no longer smiling.
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in Mexico they tie starving animals to trees in villages, to kill them. when they can no longer afford to feed them.
working for a shelter at the time, we would go on pick ups. and just go into these villages where things were most desperate, and take every dog and cat we found. wandering the street or, tied to trees.
the people would see us coming, and bring us their animals as well. telling us to find them a better place to live.
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with a group I was working with, we went to the worst parts. even worst than these villages. and we said, we are here to help- what is it you need *most*
and all they asked for was water.
so we started building wells around the country.