Our Board Member Marla is currently in Oaxaca. Below she shares her observations of the current situation in the City:
"I have returned to Oaxaca City after a two year absence due to the pandemic. Perhaps I have returned too soon. The city retains its beauty and magic, but I can feel and see the effects of Covid. Everyone, inside and out, wears a mask. There is no controversy here, just the desire to stay safe. Every restaurant and business requires a squirt of gel upon entering and some larger places take a digital temperature. Yesterday people were receiving vaccines in Conzatti Park. My friend Hector has lost five friends to Covid, none of them elderly.
The Zocalo and popular tourist areas in the Centro are noticeably empty compared to former years. Many of the outside vendors have moved into the Zocalo to try to attract what few tourists wander by. Some longtime shops and eating places are now closed.
Oaxaca depends on tourism for its economic health and this pandemic has been devastating. So many poor families rely on earnings from selling things on the street and there are very few customers. Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots has been able to provide emergency food and other necessary help to our families during this difficult period and it seems the tough times are not over."
Your support at this critical time makes a tremendous difference in the lives of our children, young adults and their families. Please consider a generous donation in 2022. Remember: "Give a child pesos on the street and you feed them for a day. Give them an education and you feed them for life."
