OUR STORY
Giving love, life and hope to all.
In 2000, Alan and Pam Skuse left their home in Australia to volunteer at a children's home in Tapachula, Mexico for one year. Six months later when the organisation suddenly closed, the Skuses had to make a life-changing decision: to return to their life and family in Australia, or take on the challenge of caring for the remaining seven children full time.
The thought of leaving the children was not an option. So, despite the lack of resources and support, Pam and Alan decided to take on the huge responsibility of opening their own refuge. ’Albergue, Misión México, Dando Amor, Vida y Esperanza’ (meaning Refuge, Misión México, Giving Love, Life and Hope) was born, with the all-important dream of creating a loving, family environment with access to education for the children and youth under their care.
With the help of global donors and the local community, Pam and Alan, along with volunteers, built our Misión México Family Home, providing long-term care, stability, and opportunities for up to thirty vulnerable children and youth at any given time.
Alongside providing access to formal education and schools, Alan and Pam felt their mission needed more, and decided to apply their combined skills to teach our children and youth water safety, swimming, and surfing.
Our children and youth became the first surfers in Tapachula, giving them a uniquely transforming activity and helping them to find confidence in themselves and a belief that they can achieve anything they want to.
With special thanks to supporters like Guzman y Gomez, Compound Cares, and Australian Aid, we purchased land in Puerto Madero and built and furnished Misión Surf, our very own surf school with rooms to rent. Misión Surf opened its doors to the public in 2018, with the aim to generate income and opportunities to support our children and the wider community.
Over our 20 years in Tapachula, the success of our in-house programs and the difficult situation facing many youth in Tapachula drove us to expand into working with those in our local community.
In 2021, we launched Proyecto Faro (The Lighthouse Project). Proyecto Faro today has multiple community outreach centres and projects, transforming the behaviours, attitudes and skills of youth, and motivating them to become agents of positive change within their families and communities.
It does this through providing positive experiences and opportunities to learn English, cooking, wellbeing techniques at no cost to the participants. This allows them to be exposed to positive masculinity; ultimately helping these young men lead happier, healthier lives.
OUR MISSION AND VISION
The Misión México Foundation aims to break the cycles of poverty, abuse, and inequality and provide opportunities and resources for every young person in our programs to thrive in all aspects of their lives and become the best version of themselves. To create safe spaces where youth have access to education, health, and a sense of belonging through long term solutions like education, practical and emotional support, and community development.
Our vision is to ensure that all youth in our home-based and community programs have access to education, health, and well-being services in a safe and inclusive environment to nurture their potential.
OUR CORE FOCUSES
Education and extra-curricular activities
A safe home with a family environment
Health and wellbeing support
Community development
Personal development and life skills
MISIÓN DIARIES
OUR SPONSORS
Misión México Foundation receives no ongoing financial support from the Mexican government. We owe our existence to the generosity of our global supporters and corporate sponsors.
We are particularly grateful for the support we receive from Compound Cares, Guzman y Gomez and Australian Aid. Please contact info@misionmexico.org to find out more about becoming one of our corporate sponsors.
When GYG first learned about Misiòn México in 2007, we were only too happy to get involved with this Australian-run charity and help make a difference in these kids’ lives. Since then, we have helped raise funds every year for Misiòn México, so that Pam and Alan can give the children in their care love, life, hope, and vital life skills. We’re committed to giving back to the culture that has given us so much.
Compound Cares is a non-profit organization that uses unique approaches through the action sports of surfing and skateboarding to empower children from various walks of life to create sustainable opportunities and to bring hope to our local community and globally.
Compound Cares has partnered with Misión México to develop a sustainable solution to not only boosting the children's morale and confidence, but also providing continual income to the children's home.