Why Puerto Escondido?
Puerto Escondido is a coastal city in Oaxaca, Mexico, with a rampant yet unaddressed tragedy impacting each subsequent generation.
What is happening?
In short, unbelievably high numbers of youth are enduring sexual assault, and a rapidly increasing number are being exploited for sex trafficking.
Why is it happening? Several major factors contribute to the vulnerability of youth in this region. Oaxaca is the second least educated and second most impoverished state in Mexico. With the majority of homes being fatherless, many single moms are left carrying the full financial load for their families. Due to residents having only eight years of education on average, earning potential is low. With tourism being the primary industry, most go to work in hospitality or customer service with very late evening hours. As a result, kids are often left unattended, and in many cases, in houses without doors or windows, a vulnerability that continues to lead to exploitation.
Growing up without a father, many young girls look to a boy to be their source and provider, leaving school and getting pregnant at an early age, only to then be left to provide for their family alone.
On top of all this, another issue grows. As tourism skyrockets in Puerto Escondido, the stories of sex trafficking are sadly doing the same.
What can we do about it?
With a problem so pervasive, two things commonly take place. One, it is assumed something is already being done about it, even when it is untrue as it is in this case. The second common response is paralysis as the amount of work to be done and the cost of the solution overwhelms those wanting to help.
Neither of these responses is an option. Someone has to do something about this now. Would you please be one of those founding members who brings hope for today and hope for tomorrow?
Hope Homes, in partnership with The English Advantage, is working to bring an unprecedented solution to this region, providing children in Puerto Escondido with a safe and secure environment today while equipping them with an advantage for tomorrow.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE?
This Hope Homes location, once fully constructed, will feature a 2.4-acre property located just north of the airport with a fully secure perimeter, a central multi-purpose area with an attached kitchen (for meals, recitals, performances, and larger gatherings), and three two-story dormitories providing bedrooms but also communal areas for play, recreation, and a dignified living experience, a pool, and multipurpose basketball and sport courts. The location will also be beautifully landscaped to bring a hospitable environment for those who are growing up there. The total project is estimated at 6.5 million dollars. For the purchase of the property and the first phase of construction, to be completed in 2025, the estimated cost is between $2,500,000 and $3,000,000. Phase one will include the secure perimeter, the central communal pavilion and kitchen, and one two-story dormitory constructed.
