Personal Reflection from Tijuana - What can we do to help street children?

I can't believe that tomorrow we will finally be arriving in Mexico City after all we've been studying about Mexico, looking for murals in San Francisco and San Diego, eating Mexican food (today's lunch was a chorizo and egg burrito- ¡qué bueno!), and crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on foot. It feels like I’ve been with my teammates Shawn and Monica a lot longer than 5 days, but a little more than a week ago I was in Spain! When we're not out meeting people and seeing sites, we're working hard getting the information to you. Even though I've only know Monica and Shawn for a week now, I trust that we're going to get along, and we're all very excited about the Mexico Trek and the people we'll be encountering along our adventure.

But, I am a little worried… I am afraid I may not be able to help the children I'll be living with in Casa Alianza. Today I saw so many young street children in Tijuana with dirty clothes and incredible smiles, and lots of them ask for money or sell gum, but I can't be buying gum from all of them, so what do I do? Why are there so many street children? Since Mexico City is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, does that mean that there will also be even more street kids in the big cities? I have so many questions I want to ask the Casa Alianza staff and volunteers, and I hope to make some new friends with the children there so that we can understand about their lives. What do you want me to find out for you? What are the questions you want me to ask the kids here? Write to me: mextrek@yahoo.com.

-Silvia

 Related Dispatches: 
Monica: Life on the border
Sylvia: What can we do to help street children.
Shawn: Tijuana - Lots of colors, lots of poverty, and lots of vegetarian food (NOT!)

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