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In 2001, María Socorro Ramirez González, Coco as the children call her, began what now is called Casa Hogar Hijos de la Luna (Home of the Children of the Moon). Initially she took in a pair of siblings, a small girl of 17 months and her brother age 7, while their mother—a single mother with minimal financial resources, living in Oaxaca without her extended family and access to traditional support networks—went to work. Little by little, other mothers with similar logistical and financial problems left their children with Doña Coco.
Most of the children that come to the Casa Hogar are night-active, i.e. they remain wide-awake at night until dawn and then sleep during the day having matched their rhythm to that of the work schedules of their mothers. Some of the children that are brought to the Casa Hogar have serious health issues due to malnutrition, nervous disorders, skin diseases, and so on. At times the children also display anti-social behavior, have speech problems as well as learning disabilites. In many cases, this is a consequence of their neglect and/or abuse at home. The physical and mental health of the children usually improves dramatically under the affectionate care of Doña Coco. For many of the children the Casa Hogar is the healthiest and happiest environment that they have known.
Doña Coco requests a contribution from each mother according to her means, the minimum contribution is to cover the cost of food for each child, for some women even this minimal contribution is hard to make. However no child is rejected if there is a space at the Casa Hogar irrespective of the contribution a woman can make. The most important contribution that Doña Coco requests for the children is that the mothers visit and spend time with them so that they recognize their mothers and look forward to their company.
Many years have passed during which Doña Coco and her family—her husband and children—who have supported the project from the start, have cared for children who live in high risk situations with their parents. The success of the project is reflected in Doña Coco’s commitment to the children in her care.
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