Pre-Columbian pyramids, delicious cuisine, blue agave, colonial architecture, bold colors, and exotic locales symbolize the festive atmosphere found throughout Mexico. While most of us think of tacos and tourism to places such as Cancun and Cabo, many of our neighbors to the south live in poverty. In fact, by national standards, more than half of the population is lacking in proper nutrition, access to clean water, adequate housing, suitable education, and general social services.

Cities such as Tijuana and Mexicali are diverse cosmopolitan areas. With the hopes of economic opportunity, families migrate toward cities making Tijuana one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico yet creating sprawling areas where squatters live in make-shift houses. Underemployment is estimated to be 25% with 86% of the workforce finding employment in service and industry. With poverty affecting 52.3% of Mexicans, not having enough to eat is robbing half the population of their potential.