How do the youth of rural Mexico hope to escape the economic challenges that often exist in small towns and villages?

By obtaining an education

Explanation:

There is almost no opportunity in rural mexico to escape economic challenges. The economy around that area is heavily reliant to small scale farming / herding. Many criminal organizations even use it as a base to hide from authority.

Because of this, their only hope is obtaining an education.

If they somehow managed to get a scholarship to big cities or to richer countries (such as US or Canada), they will exposed to opportunities to obtain high paying jobs there.