Some mothers put their children first. Some don't. To survive in the trash of the Chureca, Central America's largest dump located in Nicaragua, three young women will have to determine whether their mothers are their best allies or unexpected foes. Dominga, 25 year-old glue addict, has terminal Aids. Eleven year-old Fabiola is caught in a struggle between loyalty to her mother and a group of evangelical Christians fighting for her to join a youth center far from the dump. At 19, Maryuri has ongoing health problems and is at risk of losing the second child she is expecting in the Chureca. BY MY SIDE (A Mi Lado) follows their quest for a better life.