In Tijuana, Mexico, orphan boys are usually cared for only until their 12th birthday. Not yet teenagers, the boys are evicted from their orphanages and must fend for themselves within the dangerous neighborhoods of Tijuana. With no roofs over their heads, never enough to eat, and little education, some do not survive. Many join gangs, some become drug users and/or traffickers. Some become victims of child prostitution. A few lucky ones find their way to Project Mexico’s St. Innocent Orthodox Orphanage for teenage boys. St. Innocent Orthodox Orphanage is the only such refuge in Tijuana and one of only four orphanages for teenage boys in Mexico.
Project Mexico was founded in 1988 in Orange County, Calif., by Greg Yova. He wanted to provide young people an opportunity to look beyond themselves by helping others. Geographically close, Yova chose to help alleviate suffering in neighboring Mexico by building homes for the poor. In 1990, Project Mexico began working to establish an orphanage for teenage boys. Today, the orphanage is located on a 16-acre, palm-dotted ranch on the outskirts of Rosarito, Mexico. As many as 30 abused and abandoned boys, between the ages of 7 to 23, live at the orphanage. The boys attend school, learn vocational skills, receive spiritual guidance, participate in sports, and are showered with love and support from orphanage staff and visitors from the United States and Mexico.