[Translated from Spanish]

“When we want to get a job, we usually get rejected because we don’t have documents or ID’s.  We don’t have a good education.  It is very difficult to find work.  Usually when we ask for money, people say ‘no’ because they think we are lazy and should get a job.  But we really can’t.

There are programs, but they are full of violence and bad treatment.  Usually the police or military run the shelters, but they don’t take good care of them.  It is like prison.

When we go to the shelters, the people ask us if we are drug addicts.  If we say yes, we don’t get help.  If we say no, we don’t get help either.

Why?  Because they don’t want to help people.  Either that or they don’t have the money to help.  That is why we prefer to live free here in the streets.

Friendship is important.  People who protect you.  People who love you.  People who look after you.  That is what we have.  It saves us a lot of energy, a lot of anxiety.  We eat better food.  We are healthier and safer together.  Like wolves.

We have all been on the streets for a long time.  7 years.  9 years.  12 years.  I can’t remember.  We have not had a home in a long time.  So we had to make where we are feel like home.  That is what we do each night.  Each day.  We make home where we are.”

-José, Roberto, Mónica, Cristían (Mexico City, Mexico)