Anacostia, hidden away in the southeast corner of our nation's capitol, is one of the poorest neighborhoods in the U.S. with one of the worst crime rates, high drug use and rampant gang activity. And the children are left to the wayside.

The majority of D.C.'s homicides take place in Anacostia, and it is not uncommon to find bullet holes through your kitchen window, as cross-fire from gang rivalry is a frequent occurence. There are an overwhelming amount of single-parent households, many of whom are at the poverty line or below.

The children of these households grow up tough. They learn quickly to defend themselves, not to take flack from anyone, and grow an impenetrable exterior. At a young age they will be exposed to drugs and sex and gangs and hate, and homework is barely even given, because the kids just won't complete it. A local teacher, when asked if the kids received a lot of homework, replied, "homework? these kids don't have homes". There are dedicated organizations committed to mentoring these children and developing meaningful relationships with them, encouraging them to believe that there is so much more than the limited world they see.

But it takes dedicated individuals and groups to spend themselves on behalf of restoring this broken area, and tending to the needs of these vulnerable children, so they don't become the next group of gang members and drug dealers.

• 04/12/2007 11:33
  • 03/29/2007 11:18
  • 03/29/2007 11:01
  • 03/29/2007 10:32