Connections
Mexico, Americas
Carlos Pérez Méndez (left), 9, and Eliseo López Méndez, 10, are shoe shiners in San Cristóbal de las Casas, a major city in Chiapas, Mexico’s southernmost state. The two boys, who are not related, charge 7 pesos (about 34 cents) per pair, and 10 pesos (about 49 cents) when a customer requests a special hue or tint. They estimate they shine as many as 15 pairs a day. The daily earnings contribute to their families’ household income. According to 2014 figures from local nonprofit Melel Xojobal, nearly 3,000 children in this city work on the streets.
