Children at La Santa Biblia line up to register for backpacks

San Lucas distributed 40 backpacks to the children of their surrounding community

The areas in Juarez where Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) works with partnering mission-churches and non-profit organizations, are all below poverty levels, with many parents unable to meet the financial requirements of their children’s education.

“Education is free in Mexico,” Rosy Lira, deaconess at three of the mission-churches located in Anapra—a colonia outside of the Juarez city limits—and downtown Juarez, explained, “But everything else isn’t –registration fees, uniforms, books, school supplies.”

With the average weekly income in Juarez being less than $40 USD, the expenses for a child’s education can really put a strain on the family’s finances.

“Not many children make it past middle school,” Pastor Jose Hernandez, shepherd of the Santisima Trinidad congregation located on the opposite side of Juarez from where Anapra is, “Parents just can’t afford the extra costs that come with furthering their education.  Even to this day, there’s some kids that drop out of school in the fifth or sixth grade to find work so they can help their parents.”

Cristo Rey distributed their backpacks a couple of days after La Santa Biblia

Kids at KM30 got their backpacks August 18 in preparation for school starting on August 31

Pastor Hernandez, along with the support of Santisima Trinidad and YLM, ministers to the poverty stricken community of Kilometro 30, where majority of families are single-parent households with high levels of poverty.

Thanks to the hundreds of new backpacks and school supplies donated year-round, over 500 kids from these hurting areas will be ready to start a new school year at the end of August.  This year, 235 backpacks went to Santa Biblia (Anapra) and Cristo Rey (Juarez), 40 to San Lucas (Anapra), 75 to Santisima Trinidad and KM30.  An extra 150 were donated to a non-profit organization called Juarez Mio, for the Mazahua community found further outside of Juarez.

“This indigenous community is in desperate need,” Guillermina, spokesperson of Juarez Mio, explained several weeks prior as she helped fill backpacks with school supplies, “With the pandemic stopping so many organizations from helping, partnering with YLM to bring them much needed relief is an answer to prayer.”

The Mazahua community received 150 backpacks through Juarez Mio

Many blessings to all who have, and continue to, bless YLM, giving them the opportunity to help these mission-churches, along with Mexico non-profits like Juarez Mio, given children an opportunity for educational success.

If you are interested in learning more about the Back-to-School annual distribution or our Stay in School Scholarship program, give us a call at (915) 858-2588 or e-mail us at info@ylm.org.