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…in Mexico
 Why Mexico ? Mexico is our closest neighbor, friend and partner in trade. Mexico is a developing country and poverty remains a significant challenge for Mexico ’s development. We see first hand the effects of the extreme poverty in Mexico, as a neighbor, and as this extends into our own nation through immigration crisis. In 2002, half of Mexico lived in severe poverty with more than 20% in extreme poverty. Eight to eleven million children under the age of 15 years are working in Mexico in order to help support their family or simply to survive. Social assistance programs are limited. Minimum wage in Mexico is approximately $4 per day, yet most product costs equal those of the US , some costs such as fuel and utilities are even more.
 The world poverty numbers are staggering, 91 million children under the age of 5 suffer from extreme hunger, and a large number of those children live in our own hemisphere, in Mexico and Latin America. One hundred thirty-four million children have no access to school… what kind of future will these children make? Investing in the lives of children is an investment in the future.
A child is still a child, in any country, in any language, and of any faith. Each time we reach a child, we reach a family, a country and the world. “Our children” are the children of the world, they do not have a voice of their own… and if we do not speak up for the children they have no one. How does a child protect himself, find food, and escape abuse? They are the vulnerable ones. Poverty, hunger and abuse steals hope, prevents opportunity or options and impacts children in ways that we can not even begin to imagine.
 Children are the ones who suffer most. Children are also the ones who can help break the bonds of poverty, but they must have the opportunity for change. They must have the opportunity to receive education. We have the ability to be part of that development… of that change. We have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children, and to put forth our hand in help for our neighbor. That is why we do what we do.
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