Street children
Street children frequently have a disability

Mexico Child Link History 1992-2007

Mexico - 15 years of success

construction of 2 adobe houses began in 1995. Adobe was chosen as an environmentally friendly building technique

Building work begins on two specialist adobe houses funded by the Irish Government.

The 2 adobe houses, home to 12 abandoned children with learning disability

The houses are completed in the summer of 1995

The first children moved in during August 1995, rescued from correction centres and other overcrowded institutions

The first group of children move in during August 1995

Young people like Argelio have learnt many skills on the farm

The children and young people help to look after a flock of sheep & goats

Carpenty is another training option for young people with learning disability

A carpentry workshop was developed with the help of UK National Lottery funding

Mexico Child Link project - the origins

1990: Jonathan Getty (Special Education Teacher) & Colette Mc Ginnity (Social Worker) are invited to work in a project for children with learning disability and a UNICEF sponsored Children's Rights project in Puebla, Mexico.

1991: A pilot study to assess the level of provision for abandoned children with learning disability in the city of Puebla, is carried out by Jonathan Getty.

1992: Mexico Child Link is established as a Charitable Trust. (UK based non profit organisation)

1993: Fundación Trébol de Puebla AC, our Mexican partner organisation,is founded as a non profit making Asociación Civil, (charitable organisation) in Puebla.
Mexico Child Link funds Fundación Trébol to research the whereabouts and standard of care for abandoned children with learning disability in the Puebla area.

1994: A hectare of agricultural land in Tenextepec, Atlixco, is purchased as a site for the residential project and farm.
The Irish Government Department of Foreign Affairs awards Mexico Child Link £30,000 to build two adobe houses, each to be home to 6 abandoned children with learning disability.

1995: Two 4 bedroomed adobe houses are built, incorporating solar panels for heating water and a biological sewage treatment system.
Five children with learning disability move in to the first house and are found places in the local special school.
Independence training programmes begin. The children, many of whom are ex street children, come from the local reform school (children's jail) and other institutions in the Puebla area.
The project is inaugurated by the director of the Department of Learning Disability of the D.I.F. (Mexican Government agency with responsibility for children and families.)
The first steps are taken to establish a farm based on a system of Permaculture & sustainable agriculture.
Fundación Trébol is awarded a grant to buy a pick up truck and furniture for the second house by SEDESOL, The Mexican Government Social Development Agency.

1996: A Houseparent and Helper are appointed to work in the second house and six more children are given a new home.

1997: The National Lottery Charities Board awards a grant to fund the existing project for three years and to fund 3 new posts, (i) a speech and language therapist, (ii) a special education worker in children's homes, (iii) an independence training worker.

1998: A speech therapist is appointed to work with the children.
A staff training programme begins in children's homes in Puebla which are home to children with learning disability.
Fundación Trébol sets up a training and educational programme to teach agricultural skills in the local special school.
The farm produces crops of maize, wheat, sweet potato, avocado, peanuts, alfalfa and vegetables.

1999: The Mexican Government Social Development Agency SEDESOL awards a grant to equip a carpentry workshop, and buy furniture for the young people preparing to leave the residential project.
A tree inventory documents 1000 trees planted since 1995.
Another hectare of land is rented for a four year period.

2000: The carpentry workshop exhibits children's work at the Feria de Atlixco.
The Mexican Special Education magazine Ararú publishes a report on the work of Fundación Trébol.
The U.K. National Lottery Charities Board awards Mexico Child Link a grant of £97,500 to fund existing programmes for a further two years as well as establishing an advice and information centre, developing the carpentry workshop, and establishing a living options programme for young adults with learning disability.
Two members of Fundación Trébol visit facilities for children and adults with learning disability in N. Ireland.

2001: Two year UK National lottery funded programme begins in March.
Carpentry workshop relocates in Tenextepec and opens 5 days per week to train up to 40 children.
The Advice and information centre opens in Puebla.

2002: Mexico Child Link gains IRS 501(c) 3 tax deductible charitable status in the US through affiliation to CAFAmerica.

2003: Our partner organizations receives a grant from the Mexican Government Social Development Agency SEDESOL to refurbish the advice and information centre with a new computer, a photocopier and other materials.

2004: Two new children, Mario and Israel arrive in July. The first young people leave the project to live more independently in the community.

2005: AnaLuisa Sandóval is appointed as project director in April. Several of the young people start training at the CINIA factory in September. Khaled Faïz, a civil engineer from Belguim helps to prepare a funding application for a new house at the project for two of the young people, Esteban Ortega and Argelio Avila. The project receives a grant from Ulster Garden Villages Ltd. for roof repairs to the two adobe houses and for new floors.

2006: Fundación Trébol receives support from CEMEX. The grant is used to build a new wall around the project site and carry out repairs to the bathrooms. In September the project organises a quinceaños (15th) birthday celebration for Lucero who has been living in the project for over ten years.

2007: Karina Durana is appointed project director in May 2007.

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