A day in the life of a homeless family

Foto: Melanie Isahmar Torres

By: Helena Prentis

Walking through any area of the historical centre of Puebla, it is impossible to ignore the groups of homeless people begging in the streets. Economic and social problems driving people to move into cities in search of work but then finding themselves unable to afford living costs are causing more and more people to turn to a life on the streets. I spoke with one family about their daily struggles.

The mother of the family, Maria, states that her and her three children don’t have any sort of fixed home; they are constantly having to move where they spend each night as police often tell them to move. Her husband died last year, so she and her children have to beg to make money- they earn about 30 pesos a day.

Like so many others, her husband decided to relocate to the city, they were living with his brother up until rent became unaffordable as her husband could not find a job. Since then the family has been coming to the Zocalo each day in search of money.

When I asked Maria what her one wish was, she replied that she believed her life would never change, she hopes for the best for her children but is still not hoping for much. This life is the norm for thousands of people across Mexico, and seems to be something that will not change soon. Some may call Maria’s outlook pessimistic, but to her she is simply being realistic.