THE PROBLEM
Throughout Mexico, many people live in conditions of poverty, illiteracy, and exploitation. Because inner city living is inaccessible to these people, they gather on the outskirts of the city in an area referred to as “The Hole”. Here they are largely out of public view so the recognition of their suffering remains silent. Their daily effort is one of mere survival.
Parents will frequently send their young children into the city to help raise money by selling inexpensive items for a meager profit, by washing cars, or by simply begging. Older children often wander into the city to find food, to escape the monotony of their lives, or to avoid harm from physical abuse. They suffer not only because of their sub-optimal existence, but because they feel alone and unloved.