About 100 families (mostly of single mothers) occupy a stretch of unused land owned by the petroleum company PEMEX. Most of the abodes are made from shipping pallets and scavanged materials. There is no running water, sewage, or electricity.
Professor Arnulfo (Rufo) Reyes is a pedagogue who created Camion Proeduca, a nonprofit organization that provides remedial education, health resources, entertainment, and other services to the community. The first stage of his program was in building a soup kitchen for the kids to address their nutritional needs. Next came a platform where classes and activities can be held. The objective of Camion Proeduca is to teach at-risk kids positive values and to steer them away from poverty and crime.
Every Saturday “Rufo” takes volunteers to play with and mentor the kids. We brought crayons and coloring books. The kids had a heyday. None of them owned a crayon or pencil.