A little girl sleeps. Her bed is no more then a funky mattress. The walls and ceiling surrounding her are weak, constructed of scrap wood, metal from broken down cars, tarps, and cardboard.

When she wakes up, she must go with her siblings to an unfamiliar family so that her mother can find work which is a difficult task. Her father has left her mother in search of a better life, resulting in a desperate financial state. If her mother succeeds in finding work, her pay will be about $80 a week.

This little girl had no hope. Even if her family could afford school, educational or athletic specialties could not effect her future. Poverty in her future was eminent.

While many Americans find themselves under clean, white sheets and sleep under a sturdy, wooden roof, families in Ensenada, Mexico enter their cardboard, tent like-structures, and sleep on a single bed shared with their entire family.

What really sets this poverty apart compared to U.S. poverty is the troublesome thought of hopelessness.

Essentially, there is one difference between poverty in Mexico (Ensenada especially) and the U.S. This difference is opportunity for change: a young American living in a poor family or circumstance has a chance to change his or her life for the better whereas a Mexican family has little chance for change-no hope.

The reasons are three problems: individual conditions, an insufficient infrastructure, and unemployment.

“The primary reasons for poverty are lack of education, lack of job opportunities, and bad management of money from the government,” says Bigtha Rubi, a missionary in Mexico.

The future of any child’s life is predetermined by his or her parents’ individual condition. Educational talents, sports skills, and other specialities in Mexico are really not valued. Unless a child is born in a wealthy family and possess a special gift, a gift has absolutely no potential.

Young dreamers born into poor families have predestined futures financially, because of unequal opportunities.

When there is really no activity or educational opportunities that could benefit a child’s future, moms typically leave their children with whoever they can find in order to find jobs. The result is an everlasting flow of poverty.

“Because most houses don’t have running water, electricity, even a concrete floor, moms have to work. Therefore they must leave their kids with whoever can take care of them. Some kids are likely to be abused, miss treated, and or receive no attention and this makes the next generation hurt and corrupt and so the chain starts again!” said Rubi.

An inadequate living environment also affects families. The Mexican government is biased towards certain regions when it comes to infrastructure. Shortage of both clean water and electricity, unpaved roads, insanitary neighborhoods, crime, poorly maintained schools, and an absence of social development programs are the outcomes of this favoritism in Ensenada.

Unemployment also harms families. If a parent is successful in finding a job, his or her weekly income is about $80. Consequences of low income are tremendous.

“If a parent is lucky to have a job, they earn about $80 dollars per week-which is not much! So, they cannot afford to finish their houses (concrete floors, half-stacked concrete walls, and leaking roofs). They are left with the option to send their kids school, or put food on the table; they buy food to survive and do not send their kids to school.” said Rubi.

Though no one can solve all of these people’s opportunity and financial problems, organizations such as Homes of Hope are constructing homes for these families by bringing in ordinary people; they are similar to an organized missions trip. Such mission organizations provide a small, secure home for impoverished families, basically their first home. As they construct homes for poor families in Mexico, they also share the gospel with families to create a home in Christ.