Street Roots • January 23-29, 2015
News
Page 7
Mexico City to
launch new
street paper
BY LAURA KELLY
~
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
mong the colorful markets, historic
plazas and grand cathedrals of
Mexico City, there are tens of
thousands of homeless people living on the
streets. Many live their whole lives without
ever having a place to call their own. Some
are the third generation of their family to be
born into homelessness. Opportunities to
escape the cycle of poverty are limited, and
P H O TO BY M A R IA PORTILLA
violent gangs prey on the estimated 40
Vendors o f the new street paper, M i Valedor, which is set to launch in Mexico City.
percent of the country’s population who live
in poverty.
In this challenging and dangerous
the group.
program to help fledgling street papers. Mi
environment, 26-year-old artist Maria
“All of them have lived many years on the
Valedor is “my pal” in Mexican slang, but
Portilla is leading a team of six brave young
street. Three of them have lived all their life
Maria says its meaning for them is
women -L all in their mid-20s, and without
on the street, since they were children,”
“something like ‘my protector’ or ‘someone
any pribr experience in the magazine
Maria says.
who looks out for me.’” That’s what the
industry — to bring her home country its
The stories of how they became
street
paper
aims
to
be
for
its
vendors,
she
first street paper. Mi Valedor will launch
homeless may be varied but one thing binds
says.
this month to join the nearly 120 similar
all of the vendors: they want a way out of
Alongside Catholic charity La Carpa (The
projects, including Street Roots, that are
homelessness and off the streets. “They
Tent), they have already recruited 10
part of the International Network of Street
don’t want to be there anymore,” Maria
vendors
to
start
selling
their
publication.
Papers.
They hope to add to that number soon with
says.
“Mexico City needs this,” Maria says.
Miguel Angel Valenc^'Ji^T^>-yearTitd Mi
help from Street Soccer Mexico, the local
“There are grandparents who were born in
Valedor vendor agrees. “Today, I woke up
organization th atsen d s a team to th e
the streets and have lived their whole lives
with the motivation to keep going, and not
Homeless World Cup each year.
there. There are very few organisations, or
return to the way things were before,” he
Over
the
past
weeks,
the
women
have
laws from the government, to help homeless
been getting to know the people who will be says. “I learned from the streets; it’s easy to
people. The government doesn’t even have
lose yourself there, as an addict, no job, just
selling Mi Valedor. Having based the Mi
a proper count of the people living in the
wandering. Now, I am looking to correct
Valedor office in a creative area, they aim to
street. So they are super-excluded. They
things. Employment is what I was looking
link their vendors into that community.
don’t have any good attention or facilities.”
for.”
They recently ran a knitting workshop for
Mi Valedor was supported by the INSP
■
A friendly visit from
a former vendor
e got a visit recently from
former vendor Chris Caldwell.
When he showed up to SR last
spring, Chris, a professional painter, was
out of work and experiencing
homelessness.
While selling with us, Chris got two
great opportunities? a full-time painting
job and a three?month stay at the Clark
Center shelter. Chris was able to save
several paychecks along with his Street
Roots earnings (he was still selling
papers after work) and used the money
toward a security deposit and first
month’s rent on an apartment.
Last week, Chris showed up with paint
on his arms and a smile on his face
driving the truck he’d just purchased.
“I’m so grateful for all that Street
Roots has done for me,” he said.
■
B etter 'w M
h e a lth
here for I
you
Delivering physical, behavorial heatth and
T r a n s itio n
Projects
believes 110 One
should have to be
homeless
ental health care for over 230,000 children,
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we are
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Transition
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I
650 NW Irving St.
Portland, OR 97209
503.280.4700
www.tprojects.org