A look at life in San Miguel:

  • Approximately 60.8% of the population over 15 years old has not completed elementary school.
  • 28.5% of those living in San Miguel do not have enough food to eat.
  • 37.7% do not have the work skills to lift themselves out of poverty.
  • 62.3% do not have adequate resources like money, clothing and shelter.
  • There are two million orphans in Mexico.

Few understand the impact of these statistics. These girls, discarded human lives at the bottom of an already struggling society, have been abandoned by their community. Approximately two thirds of the girls at Casa Hogar Santa Julia have been taken to Santa Julia by their family members because they have lost their jobs, their spouses, their health, their homes, or some other vital component of a healthy life. The remaining children have been given to the care of the Madres by law enforcement or social services agency that discovered they needed a safe refuge.

A small number of the children have found their way to Santa Julia because their parents were not findable. Very few of the children are actually adoptable because most have parents and those parents do not wish to waive parental rights in hopes of becoming able to take care of their children in the future.

All the girls arrive scarred by their former lives. Some have crossed eyes, knots on their heads, or other symptoms of malnutrition. A few have never had their hair brushed. Many are afraid to use the restroom, for it is where they were most often abused. Yet even as the girls arrive broken and discarded, the Madres accept them with open, loving arms at Casa Hogar Santa Julia. The difference of Santa Julia is seen every day. Here is a snapshot of the girls’ new lives:

  • Balanced meals each day
  • Medical, dental, and psychological care
  • Quality education for each girl
  • Safe outdoor play areas
  • Elective classes such as English, computer, and life skills
  • Celebrations for birthdays and other significant life passages

Finally, the girls at Santa Julia have healthy spirits. One Madre commented that despite all their problems, the girls seem to be happy 90% of the time. At Santa Julia the environment is not institutional; rather, it feels like home. The girls attend weekly mass and daily prayers. Yet none of these habits are forced on them. There is a spirit of peace that presides over Santa Julia, one that the girls seem to have picked up from the Madres’ quiet, loving example. As a result, the girls truly care for their beloved Madres.