Once you cross that line between the US and Mexico, things seems to change drastically. And that rule applies itself to kids as well. Suddenly one starts to see them everywhere, selling chiklets in central parks, shinning shoes, working in the numerous stalls that populate the markets, selling veggies, fruit and meat or working in hostels, hotels, laundry shops, taking care of younger siblings, acting as guides, or just begging and sleeping in the streets.

How many are still going to school, how many do this after school on their spare time, how many dropped out of school, I don’t know. What I know is that a lot of them do work, starting as young as 5 year old, either begging, selling knickknacks or engaging in any manual work. Some have parents, some don’t and are left to fend for themselves.

And then, you have people who say: that’s enough!! In Leon, Nicaragua, I had the tremendous chance to stumble on Las Tias, an NGO formed 20 years ago by 7 market ladies, who, upon noticing the staggering amount of kids working the market and not attending school, decided to take matters into their own hands.

After approaching the other food stalls and asking for food donations so they could feed the kids, they started their first center, focusing on giving them a place to eat, learn, and live.

Today, Las Tias centers are formed of 2 branches. One caters roughly to 50 teenagers, offering them tutoring after school, lunch, and manual skills teaching in hairdressing, carpentry and weaving. The other center welcomes 100 under privileged kids aged 6 to 12, offering them a daily lunch, tutoring, and the services of social workers and health specialists. One of the project consisted of making necklaces to help reduce stress and anxiety in traumatised kids.

At one point they were even offering rehab to kids with drug and alcohol problems, program that had to shutdown due to lack of funds a few years back.

Now aged in the late 60’s, the Tias also struggle in their own battles, some of them dealing with one of their own children with drug problems. But day by day, they help their community by providing essential services to underprivileged kids. Funded in partnership with NGO’s based in Germany, and private donations from individuals, the Tias run a tight ship, trying to account for every penny donated, but still facing stress towards the future, their only hope residing in foreign donations, as the government offers nothing.

Please have a look at the pictures on www.transamericatrek.org in the folder Las Tias to see a bit of the work they do.
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