Photographer Paulina Campos is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From her project ‘Comedores Santa Maria‘. To see Paulina’s gallery of projects and photographs click on any image.
Cooks in charge of preparing the meals and giving them away to the kids are always volunteers or mothers of the same group as an exchange for the Dinner.
Other ways to educate the children is through songs before every meal.
Mexico City 2013
More than 20 million kids in Mexico live in extreme poverty conditions. The children lack good nutrition due to overpopulation, and fewer jobs for their parents. This narrative describes the daily life of these kids, and the purpose of the Comedores (dinners) Santa María.
Felipe and Juanjo Mexico City – Santa Fe
It’s common to find an extremely poor neighborhood next to a luxurious one in Mexico City. This is the case of Santa Fe, where Maria lives inside a room with her three children, and a baby on its way.
Many families can’t afford a single meal each day. They come to Comedores Santa Maria, where they can eat a well balanced meal that will provide them with the necessary strength for the entire day.
Kids from all ages attend to the dinners, where they receive a proper meal.
Every “Comedor Santa Maria” in Mexico follows the exact same schedule.
Families are separated into groups by ages with a specific schedule to come and eat. Every new group finds the table clean and ready.
Arts and crafts is one of the activities they encourage and practice with the purpose of teaching values and morals to the kids that come to Comedores Santa Maria.