From the very beginning of scripture, God made it clear that human beings are precious to him. The ancient principle of Pikuach Nephesh, "He who saves a life saves the entire world," is most important to who and what we are. Save a Life – Save the World Foundation and SMA Missions are focused on saving one child’s life in impoverished Central Mexico. The Foundation is committed to helping Mexican children and their families. We are dedicated to bringing to life the philosophy of the famed “Star Thrower story”, namely that every person has the power to help another. The “Starfish Story,” entitled “ The Star Thrower” by Loren Eisley, is a beautiful story reminding us that every single person can make a difference, even if that difference impacts just one person. Our greater purpose is to make a difference in the life of a Mexican child. We understand that Children are one of our most valuable blessings and we must help every child in need so children are MOST important to us.
Many children in Central Mexico are in peril in rural-ethnic, rural-urban and marginal areas. Even though Mexico has the second-largest economy in Latin America and is a major oil exporter, 46% of people live in poverty in Mexico and prosperity remains a distant dream for many Mexican children. The situation is especially troubling when considering the unequal access to health care and prevention for children of the poor and uninsured. One in four Mexicans lack any access to health care which adversely impacts children ages 1-21 who in many cases don’t have any access to health care.
According to the Mexican Health Foundation (Fundación Mexicana para la Salud, FUNSALUD) and the Mexican Ministry of Health, every year between 2 million and 4 million Mexican households—most of them poor and uninsured—suffer from catastrophic and impoverishing health expenditures leading to non-treatment of childhood illness.
Many children in Central Mexico are in peril in rural-ethnic, rural-urban and marginal areas. Even though Mexico has the second-largest economy in Latin America and is a major oil exporter, 46% of people live in poverty in Mexico and prosperity remains a distant dream for many Mexican children. The situation is especially troubling when considering the unequal access to health care and prevention for children of the poor and uninsured. One in four Mexicans lack any access to health care which adversely impacts children ages 1-21 who in many cases don’t have any access to health care.
According to the Mexican Health Foundation (Fundación Mexicana para la Salud, FUNSALUD) and the Mexican Ministry of Health, every year between 2 million and 4 million Mexican households—most of them poor and uninsured—suffer from catastrophic and impoverishing health expenditures leading to non-treatment of childhood illness.
THE FACTS ARE STARTLING FOR MEXICAN CHILDREN:
Growing up in Mexico is one of the world’s most challenging places to be a child so SMA Missions and Trails for Christ are called to ease at least one aspect of the Mexican children’s plight by providing medical and spiritual aid, establishing no or low-cost Children's Health Clinics, starting in San Miguel de Allende, and expanding across Central Mexico (Bajio, “includes—from south to north—the states of Querétaro, Guanajuato, parts of Jalisco (Centro, Los Altos de Jalisco), Aguascalientes and parts of Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí and Michoacán”). We also partner with participating hospitals to offer free clinics in various specialties. Trails for Christ extends the care in facility to remote areas by offering “house calls” and delivering medical supplies to those rural areas.
Each of us is different, and in our differences, we have unique opportunities to contribute our talents to the greater whole in serving the Lord. The Apostle Paul said, “If your gift is serving others, serve them well...If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously” … So let us serve one another passionately!
- One child in 77 dies before their 5th birthday, 2 times the U.S. rate.
- 10% of children suffer from “stunting” due to malnutrition.
- 1 in 4 children under age five have stunted growth due to malnutrition.
- 16% of girls (ages 15-19) are married, and 1 in 17 gives birth.
- Mexican children are highly vulnerable to the health threats of injury, substance abuse, sexual risk, and mental illness.
- An estimated 5.3 million young children worldwide die each year from entirely preventable diseases, such as pneumonia, malaria and diarrhea. Most of the deaths that occurred between 2005 and 2016 in children aged 5–14 years in Mexico arose from preventable or treatable conditions.
- Every 39 seconds, a child dies from pneumonia and very young adolescents (ages 10-14), are a group often neglected in Mexico health programs which carries over to adulthood.
Growing up in Mexico is one of the world’s most challenging places to be a child so SMA Missions and Trails for Christ are called to ease at least one aspect of the Mexican children’s plight by providing medical and spiritual aid, establishing no or low-cost Children's Health Clinics, starting in San Miguel de Allende, and expanding across Central Mexico (Bajio, “includes—from south to north—the states of Querétaro, Guanajuato, parts of Jalisco (Centro, Los Altos de Jalisco), Aguascalientes and parts of Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí and Michoacán”). We also partner with participating hospitals to offer free clinics in various specialties. Trails for Christ extends the care in facility to remote areas by offering “house calls” and delivering medical supplies to those rural areas.
Each of us is different, and in our differences, we have unique opportunities to contribute our talents to the greater whole in serving the Lord. The Apostle Paul said, “If your gift is serving others, serve them well...If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously” … So let us serve one another passionately!