Niños Topos

Today we went to the niños topos.

The mole Kids.



When we got off the bus we walked through a market. We paid .50soles to use the baños. We ate our bagged lunch in a nice park. The landscape was meticulous, people were happy, there were families playing together and laughing, there was a small theme park and water fountains. There was a pleasant aroma of flowers and fresh air that filled our nostrils.
There is a river. There are train tracks. There is a bridge.




They live in garbage under a bridge.




We leave that suburban park we walk down train tracks. There is dust on our feet. We pass dead rats and ever increasing amounts of garbage. There is a river with polluted water, there are wilted trees and the smell of urine and filth fill our nostrils. We come upon small shelters of tin, cloth and foam. This is the home of the mole kids.

We meet the "leaders" who said the kids were out working for the day.

They will return around 8 or 9 in the evening, but they will be high and they will be violent.


This was one of the saddest emotions I have felt in Peru. My heart broke for these children as we learned that these adults we met were actually gang leaders who send out the kids to work the streets begging for money and food. In return these children get drugs and this "home" under the bridge. Some of these children are as young as six years old. When I was six, I used glue to construct home-made cards and crafts for my parents, but these six year olds use glue to get high. As many as 30 are in this gang we met, including the leaders.

What can we do for these kids?
First we are bringing them bread and juice.
Time after time we will go back and tell these kids they are loved.
We want to develop relationships and help them get out of their situation.
We want to kidnap them and bring them to a kids shelter.
We want to take them home.
Pray for them.
Love them.

After two weeks we will leave them behind.
What then?
If you're like me, and got sticky fingers from making crappy cards with glue and paper, consider yourself more than blessed. WAY more than blessed.