Through photos and blurbs from their letters, we’ve seen that the nature of boyhood is universal. Yet just as sports, cars, and dirt seem ever-present in the life of boys, so too are certain threats. One growing risk is gangs, especially in Central American countries. 

Honduras, a country in which Mission of Mercy has a strong presence, has been hit especially hard. In this region, the gangs are known as las maras, short for marabuntas, a local species of vicious ants which destroy and devour everything in their path.
 
The maras live up to their name as they engage in every destructive behavior imaginable: extortion, drugs, weapons smuggling, human trafficking, and in the brutal killing of innocent people. They have tens of thousands of members. They terrorize and effectively control entire cities.

Maras are especially devastating because they recruit young men, sometimes boys as young as nine. And there is no shortage of potential young recruits: nearly half of Central America’s population is under 15 years old. The region’s high rates of poverty and unemployment  create conditions ripe for gang activity. With little hope of getting a good education and a job, young men see few alternatives other than joining these powerful gangs.

According to one member of our Honduran staff, Tony, boys are drawn to the gangs because they often don't see the danger. A friend, brother, cousin or other influential male will extend an invitation. Or the boys are introduced to drugs, and becoming a gang member allows them to get drugs whenever they want. Joining the maras is a way to make some easy money; faced with poverty and a lack of healthy alternatives, easy money is hard to pass up.

The maras are a huge challenge for the boys of Honduras, who  are exposed to the gangs’ activities and lifestyle on a daily basis. But thanks to the wonderful work of our personnel like Tony, boys registered in Mission of Mercy’s programs in Honduras have a much smaller chance of joining the maras. This is especially true when the boys get involved with Mission of Mercy at young age.

Through their programs at Mission of Mercy’s projects, Tony and the other staff in Honduras make the boys aware of the dangers and consequences that come with joining maras. But more than that, the projects also seek to awaken the children’s dreams and purpose in life, encouraging them to aim higher than gang membership. They share Jesus with the children and sow the fear of the Lord in them. The projects also seek to instill a desire for self-improvement within the children, ridding them of their poverty mentality which often discourages striving for a better life. Lastly, the projects seek to keep parents engaged in their children’s lives through monthly meetings.

Las maras will likely continue to inflict great damage upon Central American nations already crushed by poverty, unemployment, and corruption. But with the help of sponsors, Mission of Mercy provides children with a tangible alternative. Instead of being identified with creatures that devour and destroy, we can teach these children to love and to live.