Child Sponsorship Background from Mexico City, Mexico

SOS Children's Village Mexico City

The first Mexican SOS Children's Village was set up in La Villa de Guadalupe, a suburb of Mexico City, approximately 700m from the famous Basilica of Saint Virgin Guadalupe Hidalgo.

SOS Children's Village Mexico City consists of family houses, the village director's house, an SOS Aunts' or family helpers' house, a multi-purpose hall, a library, an administrative and service area and several playgrounds.

The sports field for football, basketball and volleyball is a meeting point for children from the SOS Children's Village and their friends from the vicinity.

SOS Children's Village Mexico City also offers workshops for pottery, silkscreen printing and painting.

Other SOS Projects in Mexico City

Since 2006, there has been an SOS Social Centre which supports the local community through different measures of family strengthening, for example by organizing childminding programmes or special workshops for parents. Furthermore, it runs a day-care centre for up to 70 babies and children.

Background to Mexico City

Mexico City is the capital city of Mexico, located in the Valley of Mexico and with an estimated population of around 9 million. The city dates back to the 1300s and went through numerous changes and today is one of the richest in Latin America, producing about 22 % of the national GDP.

Mexico City is one of the world's fastest growing agglomerations due to the strong afflux from other, mainly rural regions and the high birth rate. Many of those coming from outside the city do not find the life they expected and end up living in one of the city's huge slums.

The difficult social situation of the people in the slums results in high numbers of children who are mistreated, abused or abandoned.