Many of you will probably remember the foundation of the "Casa Hogar - Acción Diabolos Rojos" home in Toluca, Mexico, in 1986, during the brilliant WC campaign, which brought us to the semi-finals then.
As an apotheosis to our seven-week stay there, we set up this action together with our Red Devils, for the benefit of the street children of Toluca, an industrial city of about 800,000.
Since the, i.e. for seventeen years now, some thirty youngsters at a time have enjoyed full boarding, food and education in our home. In that manner, we have given more than two hundred underprivileged children a chance for a concrete and better future.
The home is led by an expert psychologist, Dr. Rocio Fuentes, who can count on a staff of six full-time assistants.
Thanks to the co-operation of many people in and around the Football Association, the work has highly evolved over the years.
After all, the first housing was quite modest. The children were housed in an old school. They slept in three large bedrooms with bunkbeds. They often crawled under the beds to sleep : thus, for the first time in their life, their bed offered some protection. After several years we were able to buy a nice piece of land, allowing us to inaugurate a modern and functional home already in 1992.
In addition, we were able to found three libraries in the run-down suburbs of Toluca. These became sociocultural centres, where thousands of people learn to read and write. For the first time, they were introduced to culture, science and history. Cooking lessons were organised, as well as hygiene and child care courses.
These centres were founded in underprivileged neighbourhoods, where there is no electricity or water supply.
So far, three libraries are operational. The first one was opened in 1997, in Tecaxic, on the occasion of a visit by the RBFA's President. The second library, in Tlacotepec, was inaugurated in 1998 by Prince Filip. The third, in Tlachomulco, opened its doors in 1999 in the presence of our then Prime Minister, Mr. Jean-Luc Dehaene.
At the end of his Presidency of the RBFA, Dr. Michel D'Hooghe, President of the Casa Hogar non-profit organisation, wrote a book entitled : "Where did the ball go ?". The proceeds of his book will go to the foundation of a fourth library, in San Cayetano, an impoverished suburb of Toluca. As the book sold very well, the work could be started very quickly.
On November 1, 2002 the time had come : in the presence of the Belgian Ambassador, Mr. Willy Stevens, the local authorities and an enthusiastic youthful crowd, Dr. D'Hooghe cut the traditional ribbon.
 The building consists of a library section, a spacious reading room, which can also be used for other social and cultural activities, and also a computer room, with four brand-new computers.
It was a happy, emotional day, giving the operation of the "Acción Diabolos Rojos - Casa Hogar" a new dimension.
In the meantime, a fifth library has been inaugurated, bearing the name of "Grand Cru - Grand Cœur", in San Diego de Los Padres, a village northwest of Toluca, in February 2003.
As stated above, the extraordinary adventure, started seventeen years ago, has already put back a smile on more than two hundred children's faces. Now that we're on roll, we cannot quit…
In the interest of all our children, we must remain focused and continue our efforts.
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