While tourists flock to the hot, humid Yucatán Peninsula in southern Mexico next summer, EM hopes to send volunteers there to assist the region’s marginalized peoples:  Abused inner-city children and the impoverished residents of small Mayan villages.

The city of Merida, the largest in the state of Yucatán with more than 730,000 residents, has a reputation as an affluent city with well-developed infrastructure and relatively little crime. However, in the city’s southern sector families live in extreme poverty and are plagued by social problems. Of Mexico’s 31 states, Yucatán has the most children suffering from malnutrition and the country’s third most severe domestic violence problem, and those figures speak well to the situation in southern Merida, said Victor Chan-Martin, the director of Hogar Mana, an organization in Merida that works with abused and undernourished children.

“It’s curious, because if you come to Merida, you’re going to find a very warm, safe place, and the people are very friendly,” Chan said. “And you’ll ask, ‘If it’s such a nice place and everyone is so friendly, how is there such a problem with violence?”

Chan said the violence occurs behind closed doors; it’s almost all domestic abuse and most people consider it a conversational taboo.

 “There is not a culture of talking about or reporting domestic violence,” he said.

Additionally, he said, Yucatán is the state with the second largest number of marriages ending in divorce, the second largest number of persons infected with HIV and the most suicides each year.

Hogar Mana (Manna House) is the only organization in Merida, Yucatán’s capital, which works to prevent child abuse. Hogar Mana runs two centers in the southern district. One is a center for abused children where they have access to food, medical and psychological care, Bible lessons and recreation opportunities. The other is a cafeteria where some 60 children are served lunch each day.

Hogar Mana also runs a small farm with chickens and plantains that support about 40 needy families, Chan said. He said the center also runs a small reverse osmosis water purification facility to provide the families with clean drinking water. Chan said he hopes to soon be able to build a fish farm.

“They are families that are really living in extreme poverty,” Chan said.

Chan said his two consistent sources of financial support are donations from First Baptist Church in Seattle, Wash., and from his brother in Minnesota. While he receives occasional support from other churches, local donations are practically nonexistent, he said.

Chan said there is ample meaningful work in Merida for volunteers, from leading Bible studies and activities for children to supporting construction projects.

Outside the city, EM Executive Director Chris Clum said many of the impoverished Mayan families living on the peninsula are living without even basic bathroom facilities.

Clum first met Chan while working in Ruiz, in the Mexican state of Nayarit, in 2005. After meeting with Chan over lunch to discuss his work in Merida, Clum said he felt a calling to go learn more.

“He’s one of these guys who’s just got a heart of gold, he’s doing great work, and we just felt a tug to go help him and partner with him and go explore that possibility,” Clum said. “This year it seems like we’ve got some pretty strong interest from several teams, so we’re excited about it.”

The Yucatan Peninsula divides the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Its hot, humid atmosphere and natural beauty make it a favorite tourist destination, drawing thousands each year to places like Cancún and the Mayan Riviera.

The peninsula is home to the Mayan people, who have retained their language and much of the cultural traditions established when their society reached its zenith hundreds of years ago. Some of the world’s most important Mayan ruins can be found on the peninsula. The Yucatan is renowned for its immense caves, and while the peninsula is virtually devoid of above-ground lakes and rivers, it is dotted with cenotes – sinkholes filled with fresh water that served as the main source of drinking water for the Mayan civilization.

To serve in Yucatan with Experience Mission on Christian mission trips or a specific mission trip for all ages, call us at 360-732-0986. To check out additional media about Yucatan, visit our news website at www.ExperienceMissionNews.com. Register now for a future mission trip with Experience Mission.