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QUIQUE
Eleven of Quique's relatives - including
his mother, common-law wife and three year-old son
Angel - all live in under one hot tin roof. They
are desparately poor.
His aging father owns a small sawmill
in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the capital city. But
the business doesn't make enough to support such
a large family.
And Quique knows that soon he'll be the main breadwinner.
At his last job, working at a warehouse, he made
only $20 a week. It just wasn't enough.
Quique:
I want my family to do better. Things here get worse
every day. Wages are not sufficient to support a
family. That justifies taking the risk. I want my
family to have a better life.
This isn't Quique's first attempt
to reach 'el norte'. When he was fifteen-years-old
he made it all the way to the American border before
he was caught. He was sent back and tried again
only to make it halfway.
Seven years later he's willing to risk it all again.
Quique and his friend Eber organized the trip and
a couple of other guys from his neighbourhood decided
to join in. (read about
Quique's friends)
It's a group of strong, intelligent and trustworthy
guys who are ready for what is a very tough journey.
If Quique makes it as far as the U.S. border he's
hoping that an uncle living in North Carolina will
help him find a job.
But Quique's family is very worried
- some young men who make the trip north are never
heard from again. There are countless dangers ahead;
the police, gangs, and riding on the railcars.
Quique hopes to return to Honduras
in few years with enough money to open a small business
and provide a better life for his family.
Quique:
When you leave there is no room for sadness. The
goal is to come back and everything will be alright.
Read about the dangers Quique
and his friends faced on their journey
to 'el norte'.
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