Witness

Mexico's fight for the future (2015x26)

: 20, 2015

For decades, rampant violence and poverty have denied the youth of Mexico's southwestern state of Guerrero a stable future.Caught in a vicious cycle of drug trafficking, gang violence, and endemic poverty, there are only a few teachers brave enough to work in the villages in the heart of Guerrero.Maximino Villa Zamora is one of them.To try and break this cycle affecting his community, he teaches the children of poor villagers and farmers while providing guidance to the region's youth, who feel trapped by the lack of opportunities.But when the deaths of 43 students made news headlines in late 2014, it was personal for 'Maxi', as some of them were his students and one a nephew, Bernardo Flores.Maxi also organises for the community, providing support to the youth of Guerrero. He strives to give them hope and a belief that the lives of those missing students will be the final spark to ignite the change for his community and for Mexico's future.