Where: Mexico
Area of Work: Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, Education, Youth
Youth groups in the NPH homes and community projects empower girls and young women. Over the past eleven years, more than 500 youths have participated in international youth leadership conferences ¨C half of them young women. 24 of the 47 NPHI Seattle Institute graduates are female. Besides intensive English classes, they received thorough leadership training and focused on their professional development during their 10-month stay in the US. All are studying at or graduated from university. Many of them working full-time with NPH. Dora Serrano, a participant in 2013, graduated from university with a degree in psychology. After working full-time for a few years at NPH Honduras as the Family Services Coordinator, as of January 2020 she has been working as the National Director of NPH El Salvador.
NPH also gives scholarships for children from low-income households and vulnerable neighborhoods and communities, NPH provides education for over 5,000 children on a daily basis in nine countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean from pre-k to university or vocational school. All girls and young women have the same opportunities as the boys to finish their education, study, or learn a trade. Half of the youths completing their vocational formation with a degree/diploma are girls and even more than half of the graduates from high school are female.
However, Nuestros Peque?os Hermanos is always looking for opportunities to contribute to the local communities, even more so, when it comes to supporting the families of young leaders.
The San Jos¨¦ Family Center has also implemented the Chicas Poderosas program, which aims to empower adolescent girls from Mata de Pl¨¢tano and surrounding communities.
Ana Cruz is a 10-year-old girl who lives in Mata de Pl¨¢tano. She is the oldest of three siblings and lives with her parents, both of whom are farmers. ¡°I belong to Chicas Poderosas [Girl Empowerment] at the San Jos¨¦ Family Center, a group for adolescents and young girls, where we have workshops about interesting topics such as self-esteem, receiving advice to make positive life decisions, and promoting the importance of studying. I have also acquired leadership and technical skills such as learning to make bracelets. I never imagined that through Chicas Poderosas I was going to be able to help my family in a crisis like this by creating a food parcel,¡± adds Ana.
There are currently 33 girls in the Chicas Poderosas group in Mata de Pl¨¢tano, which meet twice a week and is managed by the psychologist, Lindsay Barahona Paz.
¡°The psychologist constantly guides us. She reminds me that I need to lose my fears and follow my dreams. I was shy before being part of this group, but now I can talk and build relationships easily. Now I have more friends. Also, when I feel lazy I remember the psychologist¡¯s words: ¡°to be someone in life, I need to study hard¡±, and this encourages me to keep going,¡± adds Ana.
In the beginning, there were 13 young girls, but now there are 24, with the majority studying in school due to the advice and encouragement they received at the center. In this space, they feel loved, safe, and free to talk about things that worry them or make them feel insecure, which they might not be able to do in their own home. The lack of education for girls was such a challenge since the culture of the local communities favors marriage after sixth grade; however, they have worked ceaselessly to empower them to continue studying and look for opportunities for their personal growth and pursue a better future.
Photos provided by NPH
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