When Griselda Campos' husband left their community of Choluteca, Honduras for the United States in 1999, the plan was that he would work hard to take his wife and seven children out of the extreme poverty that left them hungry and without many options. The children, however, never heard from their father again after the first few Christmases, which they were obliged to celebrate without him.

And so as Griselda was left to care and provide for her children. In 2000, she decided to leave her children, aged between 2 and 15, in the care of her mother, and migrated to Mexico's southern border town of Tapachula to find work.

She recalls it was not an easy decision, but it was the only option available. On many occasions she only had one egg and a few vegetables to feed the entire family.

"In my country, one dies of hunger, everyone, even children," Griselda states.

She began working in Tapachula as a domestic worker, earning less than US$100 a month, of which nearly three-quarters was sent to her mother to take care of her children.

Griselda and her family are not alone. Each year some 1.7 million migrants cross Mexico's southern border. And while many, like Griselda's husband, cross the country on their way to the United States, nearly 90 per cent find work in the region. Among these migrants are children, who are vulnerable to labour exploitation, and often are not able to attend school full time because they are forced to work, and many times lack the paperwork needed to register for school.

Eventually, Griselda was able to get a job in a restaurant where the pay was better. This allowed her to slowly send for her children, so the family could be together again.

In 2009, Griselda and two of her children, 19 year old Joaquín and 18 year old Carolina, were able to regularize their migratory status and obtained immigrant visas. A year later, with all three working, they sent for the youngest children. By 2010, Griselda finally manage to reunite with her children after 11 long years.

Although Griselda's children have shown promise in their new schools in Tapachula, it has been a complex struggle for them to continue their education. The three oldest had to abandon their studies to get jobs and help support the family, but two of them were recently let go.

The two youngest children have also had their share of setbacks. Eleven year old Suany, who effortlessly managed to register in primary school with her birth certificate and her mother's identification card, is now required to present proof of her migratory status to enter the fifth grade.

IOM Mexico, with funding from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives is carrying out a project to promote education for migrant children in Tapachula. With the goal of promoting educational continuity and lowering the dropout rate amongst migrant children, the project will work with parents, teachers, school authorities, and consulates, to promote migrant children's access to educational services in Mexico and to ensure that schooling attained in Mexico is validated in students' countries of origin.

"Child and adolescent migrants face particular challenges, one of which is attaining an education that will break help break the cycle of poverty. We hope with this project to foster a network, which includes the state and local governments, schools, and families, to expand migrant children's possibilities to realize an adequate education," explains Thomas Lothar Weiss, IOM Chief of Mission in Mexico.

Griselda's daughter Sara is exactly the type of migrant that will benefit from the new IOM education project in Tapachula. A born leader, talented athlete, and bright student, Sara was not allowed to enter secondary school because she did not have her school transcripts from Honduras, nor the documents confirming her immigration status.

For a time, Sara audited classes at an open secondary school, but her work and time could not be officially recognized. School officials and teachers pleaded with Griselda to do everything possible so that Sara could continue her education. But obtaining the required migration status and documents takes money that the family does not have.

Sara has not lost hope and continues to show initiative and maturity. This new project will allow Sara to realize her dream of getting an education; something she wants more than anything in this world.

The new education project is part of IOM's work in Mexico's southern border. With sub-offices in Tapachula since 2006, and Tuxtla Gutierrez, inaugurated this year, IOM works with the Chiapas State Government, as well as local governments, and civil society and private sector organizations. Based in Mexico City, IOM Mexico also has a sub-office in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.

Through this project, IOM Mexico hopes to increase the number of migrant children living in Tapachula who will be able to receive an adequate education, so that children, such as Griselda's, can transcend all obstacles and benefit from an education that will increase their chances of having a better life.

For more information, please contact Jeremy Mac Gillivray, IOM Mexico, Tel: +52 55 5536 3922, jmacgillivray@iom.int