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| M.E.S.E. (Menores en Situación Extraordinaria): |
Eighteen years ago, a group of extraordinary women came together to address the growing problem they saw in their community of Cancun, Mexico – children on the streets with nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help. Each child's story was different. Some lived on the streets because they had no homes to return to; others turned to the streets to beg for money to help support their struggling families. Angered and saddened by what they saw, this group of local women founded Menores en Situación Extraodianaria (MESE ) to establish a physical and emotional home base for children, ages 4 to 18.
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| That original model has grown, and MESE now serves 64 children, approaching the issue from a variety of perspectives, providing the young people with food, clothing, and educational access. MESE also recognizes that to support the children, they must support the families themselves. As these children enroll in school full time, families often lose essential income that had been coming from the children's panhandling, so MESE also provides a cash stipend to participating parents and guardians. However, recognizing that even with the best intentions, the transition from the street to the classroom can be difficult, MESE partners with the local police force, the educational system, and the families of the children themselves to create and regularly update files on each of the children it serves. This allows the program not only to track student progress, but also to expedite interventions when some children return to the streets. |
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MESE also seeks to engender community among those it serves, believing that by joining families facing similar challenges, the goals they seek will be made easier. Each Saturday, a family day is held at the program's headquarters. Parents and guardians help organize and supervise activities among the children and often lend their talents to teach cooking classes or to coach football practice. These community events serve as bonding time among the children and also help to boost self-worth for the parents and guardians, allowing them to see the importance of their contributions to their children's lives and to take comfort in the fact that they are not alone in their efforts.
That commitment to supporting the entire family is also seen in the services provided to young single mothers, who are often the victims of years of abuse, educational deficits, and grim career prospects. Using a special fund dedicated to helping these young women, MESE provides financial support to help them enroll in evening classes to learn lucrative trades.
Impressed with what MESE has done in the past and inspired by its potential to do even more, Lotus of Hope joined forces with the program in March of 2009. Since then we have provided financing for the essential resources that the children need, offering support for school supplies, clothing, and food. By removing the pressures of constantly seeking financial support from MESE's shoulders, Lotus of Hope aims to enable these local heroes to instead focus their energies on the young people and families in Cancun who are so in need of the aid of this extraordinary organization. |
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Lotus of Hope:
California , New York , London , Oxford , Zurich , Dubai , Luxembourg , Tel Aviv, Johannesburg , Kiev , Warsaw , Hong Kong
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