ALAN AND PAMELA SKUSE ARRIVED IN TAPACHULA, CHIAPAS, MEXICO IN NOVEMBER 2000 TO DO VOLUNTARY WORK IN AN ORPHANAGE FOR TWELVE MONTHS. ALAN AND PAMELA ARE FROM THE SUNSHINE COAST IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA AND HAVE RAISED SIX CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN, TWO OF WHICH ARE NOW MARRIED AND A THIRD ENGAGED TO MEXICANS.

THE ORGANIZATION THAT THEY CAME TO HELP CLOSED DOWN WITHIN SIX MONTHS SO THE SKUSES' WERE LEFT WITH THE DILEMMA OF WHAT TO DO REGARDING THE CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE.

"Do we just leave and let the children go back to the streets and lives of abuse after giving them a taste of what life could be like or do we take on this huge responsibility with no resources to support us?"

"It didn´t take long to realize that we could not abandon these kids and because we could see that there was such a great need in this area of work, we decided to stay."

ALAN AND PAM 'STEPPED OUT' AND ESTABLISHED THEIR OWN REFUGE TO CARE FOR THE CHILDREN AND HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO DOING THIS WORK.

PAMELA AND ALAN SKUSE ESTABLISHED THE REFUGE; 'ALBERGUE, MISION MEXICO, DANDO AMOR, VIDA Y ESPERANZA, A C', (Refuge, Mission Mexico, Giving Love, Life and Hope) WHERE THEY CARE FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN ORPHANED, ABANDONED, ABUSED OR ARE FROM EXTREME POVERTY. THE REFUGE CARES FOR AN AVERAGE OF 35 CHILDREN ON A DAILY BASIS, 32 OF WHICH, ARE ON A PERMANENT BASIS.

OVER THE PAST FOUR AND A HALF YEARS THEY HAVE HELPED AROUND 200 CHILDREN, FROM VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES OF NEED.

 

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