Abandoned In Mexico is a documentary who are faced with a sense of abandonment in a thriving economy. The World Tourism Association ranks Mexico as the 10th most visited country in the world generating 12.7 billion in revenue. Mexico’s total Gross Domestic Product of $1.258 trillion placed Mexico 14th in world economies yet over 40% of the countries people continue live below the poverty line.

Mexico’s 2012 elected president, Enrique Peña Nieto, has vowed to lower the number of people living in poverty and bring the country into the 21st century however change is never easy and is often constructed with great controversy and deception. The current administration continues to be plagued with a war on drugs, child labor issues, and an underperforming educational system which all contribute to Mexico’s orphan dilemma. Abandoned In Mexico will take a hard look at the problems that afflict Mexico’s orphans while revealing how the government agency (DIF) and group homes are attempting to create a difference with Mexico’s abandoned youth. Reversing the vicious cycle of abandonment will not be an easy task but Mexico certainly will prosper from it.

The biggest challenge has been to get rid of the drug cartels. President Peña Nieto's focus is to increase security spending to a level that worked for Colombia. The plan would include drafting 40,000 soldiers into the police departments.

President Peña Nieto replaced President Felipe Calderón-Hinojosa, who initiated a crackdown on organized crime and corrupt local police. It amounted to an all-out war, increasing violence including retaliation to civilians by the cartels. As a result, numerous children have become orphaned.

Another challenge President Nieto faces is child labor issues. Mexico is making progress in all areas of children’s rights. Social spending has increased constantly in recent years and widespread coverage of primary schooling ensures at least a basic education for most children.

At the same time, child labor, whether on the street, in factories, on farms or elsewhere, is still common and widely socially accepted. There are currently various federal programs as well as initiatives by non-government organizations that seek to reduce child labor. Nevertheless, experts repeatedly point out that in order to eradicate child labor completely, change has to take place on a structural level.

The most important change that is essential for orphans is education reform. The Mexican government only mandates education through the completion of the sixth grade and public education is often taught with error filled text books and unqualified teachers. In September 2013, President Peña Nieto addressed the issue of an underperforming educational system by signing a bill for education reform. The bill was met with great opposition from the teachers union who retaliated by going on strike. Unfortunately the orphans become the largest casualty of the system. The lack of a good education leaves the orphans with limited options and doubtable will continue the cycle of abandonment.

The heart of the Abandoned In Mexico documentary is to provide quality education for the orphans which ultimately percolates hope of a brighter future. In order for orphans to break the cycle of abandonment a greater emphasis most be placed on quality education which Mexico currently lacks in the public sector.

There is an old Chinese Proverb that says:

“give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;

teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Orphanages in Mexico often concentrate on providing food and shelter but what the orphans are in desperate need for is skill sets that will allow them to survive as an adult. Group Homes like Oasis and Grace Children’s home in Tijuana Mexico have accomplished such a task. All of their children go to private school where they are receiving a quality education. The cost to run these group home is incredibly higher but the tradeoff is children are now having aspirations of going to college and professional careers.

In 1998, Daniel was placed in the Oasis Group Home and through love support and private education; today Daniel is enrolled in medical school and has a promising career ahead of him. Golden Heart Dove’s unique approach of filmmaking will not only shine light on the calamities of orphans but it will also contribute to the solution.

As the population increases so does the rise of global issues. GHDF's vision is to produce media that moves society into a proactive state of higher consciousness. Forming a unified focus on solutions for the better good of humanity..

In 2010, Scott Dixon embarked on a career path that would feed his humanitarian spirit. Scott believed he found it through filmmaking. His desire was to simply make a difference by using film as his medium. The first phase of this journey has prompted him to start a non-profit organization that focuses on specific causes to raise money and awareness through media. The media has become a dominant influence on millions of people on a daily basis. GHDF utilizes media by teaming up with other non-profit organizations to create events, commercials, documentaries, and feature films to shine light on society’s calamities.