In Mexico, according to data collected by civil organizations, 20 million children live in poverty, 3.3 million need to work and 4.5 million dropped out of school due to the coronavirus pandemic, which accentuated the violation of their human rights.
Concerned about this situation and the physical and mental health of the children of our Mexican PEPEs, we conducted activities focusing on the comprehensive care of each of our children. That’s how we created the Health/Nutrition Program.
We started the first week by training our team to draw together a sequence of health activities. The missionary educators planned a learning sequence with the goal that the children recognize the importance of a proper diet and practice personal hygiene habits to stay healthy.
In the second week, we entered the direct stage with the children, which is called “I take care of my health”, where we explained the importance of having a good diet and practicing hygiene habits. This same week, we put into practice the activities planned with the children who, accompanied by their older brothers, made posters and a great movement to expose what they learned.
We continue to follow the children directly in the PEPEs and their homes so that everything that was learned continues to be put into practice so that, with health and healthy eating, they live as all children should live: running, playing, and learning.
Every child is an individual being and needs to be cared for, nurtured, valued, protected, and respected to become a stable and healthy adult.
Pray that we can continue taking care of the children who are at PEPEs and open new units throughout the country.
Bertha Salgado – national coordinator of PEPE Mexico
Translated by Letícia Pedrosa Rodrigues
