Mexico has been strongly impacted by the food crisis in the areas where we currently work. Just recently, a national distribution newspaper called 'El Economista' published an article dated on July 10, 2022, in it they mention that in Mexico 3 out of 10 people face some level of food insecurity. Women and children are significantly more vulnerable and exposed to hunger. The same article also mentions that in the month of July, we have 4.8 million Mexicans who have probably not eaten on that day, and who wouldn't have the opportunity to eat on the rest of that day. According to numbers from the FAO, 3.74% of the total population in Mexico face severe food insecurity. Food insecurity is not only focusing on people that are going through hunger situation, but on the quality and amount of food that the people are able to access per day. An adequate nutrition is even more difficult every day for millions of people and specially for the poor. These last pandemic and the economic crisis have affected the population simultaneously and has taken more people to face the lack of food or insufficient food in their homes. This is a reality that we still see among the families of our participants as specifically in the rural and indigenous areas. As part of the national office we are working at a project to address food security. We are working with the youth specialist and we are identifying the population older than 16 years with some agricultural abilities to work the land. This is a proposal that is intended to prevent food insecurity. Our main focus is to help the youngsters and impact 60 men and women who are participating in 5 of the child development compassion programs, especially in indigenous areas of the high hills of Chiapas. This proposal has the intention of rescuing agriculture and implementing a business plan for youth to turn back to agriculture to work and to serve as a way to secure their food and also as an income generation activity.

Also as a national office, we have different strategies to grow in the areas of most need and margination in the country. We are implementing new work models in the programs to attend the children and youth in their own context and in every region. We have also challenged the way of work with the frontline church partners to provide good attention to the participants. This is evident in different ways, in some cases we have challenged the partners to be inclusive with women and children, in other cases, it is with the involvement of more people who are key to the community and not only with the members of their church.

In regards to the Mexico office, under the leadership guide we have consolidated work teams that are in preparation to respond correctly to the work with the local churches, with this new approach to making plans to respond to the needs of the children the family and the community. We are also working on a strategy to include women and children in a better way into the decision making of the program and to provide a development that is within their own context. In terms of the health of our participants, collaborators and families, we continue to reinforce the preventive activities to avoid spreading COVID-19. Finally, in regards to the participants in the Compassion programs, we continue strengthening the programs for youth, so they will continue with their studies and find new ways to generate income.

During this past time, we have witnessed how the provision of God, through Compassion and other means, has been very important because even with the great need of children and all the illness and the social and economic situation in our country; our projects continue moving on, and the Church of God continues the commitment to every one of the children we serve. God has removed fear from the children, their parents and the churches from many problems in the midst of these emergencies and natural phenomena like earthquakes, flooding rains and storms, that some of the churches are still dealing with, in different parts of the country. We have seen the caring hand of God has not being short towards my staff. The Lord has kept us from many risks in the different areas of conflict where we are working and in the places that we have to travel to get to the programs. God has also provided health and new ideas to continue attending the children in very complex environments.

I would like to share with you that with your support and through Compassion we are generating something very important which is hope to parents and children. This is especially important in parents because they see their children prosper and get better grades. Hope is important because the situation of risk makes it easy for people to be dedicated to crime. The churches are doing great work protecting the children from abuse, of course we have some cases but it's minimum.

The church staff have provided follow up on child protection measurements, they have visited the children in their home regularly, and have attended every issue from the different areas of view when they have found abusive situations, they have provided legal advise and psychological support. One more area of impact has been the support in nutrition, by providing groceries and we do projects that have been planting and growing food in the children's homes.

They are also producing food from raising animals for the families consumption and for selling. Thank you for your collaboration, commitment and the love for children, to change their lives and to release them from poverty alongside us.