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  • Families at the forefront of preventing violence
  • Promoting youth resilience Brayan Martinez had dropped out of school, was introduced to drugs and was facing pressure to engage in other illicit activities. Community-based support helped him move back to a place of stability. Facilitated through Proponte Más, a family-based violence prevention project funded by USAID, the presence of family promoters in targeted communities are proving that […]
  • Stronger families, safer communities Unity and good communication allow families to weather even the hardest conditions. In a country where youth are vulnerable to gang violence, substance abuse and the pressure to migrate, counseling can support parents navigating a host of uncertainties and create a home environment that better protects youth from making decisions that put them at risk. […]
  • Leaving a legacy: a service network for youth Angel Guzmán and Ligia Serna share a deep passion for their country’s youth. Both members of a professional network dedicated to promoting best practices when working with families and kids and advocating for children’s rights, Angel and Ligia are multiplying their impact across their communities. An initiative of the family-centered violence prevention program Proponte Más, […]
  • Evidence, family and an innovative approach to reducing youth risk In Honduran communities with alarming levels of crime and violence, a small number of youth are most at risk of falling into the gangs that fuel conflict in their neighborhoods. The USAID Proponte Más project’s evidence-based approach identifies these youth and works through specially trained family counselors to put them on a more peaceful and promising path. Meet the families and youth that are building resilience, reducing risk and envisioning a brighter future.
  • Honduran families take the lead in building youth resilience Teenage cousins Steven and Yuvini were at high risk for joining a gang, but through a unique family-based violence prevention program, the boys and their family are working together to lower those risk factors for violence and build resilience.
  • Freedom to move forward: Reframing juvenile justice in Honduras Teenage cousins Steven and Yuvini were at high risk for joining a gang, but through a unique family-based violence prevention program, the boys and their family are working together to lower those risk factors for violence and build resilience.
  • Fostering resilience for farmers and families Meet the smallholder farmers and young mothers in Honduras' Dry Corridor who are receiving training and assistance to combat food and water insecurity and improve health and nutrition.
  • Seeds of hope for farmers in Honduras’ Dry Corridor Updated tools, improved practices and support from a new project are helping smallholder farmers in Honduras’ Dry Corridor build resilience to food and water insecurity.
  • Growing up strong in a food insecure region Nutrition and home improvement in Honduras’ Dry Corridor NAMASIGUE, HONDURAS – A dozen squirming babies and their young mothers are lined up outside of Petronila Carcamo’s home in Chaguiton, a small rural town in the southern Dry Corridor of Honduras. Today is weigh day. The mothers huddle together holding their babies and chatting as they […]
  • Improving health one home at a time in Honduras’ Dry Corridor A dedicated network from local youth volunteers to health professionals is working together to ensure that families in Honduras are adopting improved health and hygiene practices.
  • Empowering youth, promoting prosperity through technical education Along Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast, a region characterized by poverty and insecurity, jobs are hard to come by. Seeking new opportunities, many youth migrate to neighboring countries to find work. Empowering young people with economic opportunities can stem migration, prevent youth involvement in crime and violence and build safer, more prosperous communities. The Aprendo y Emprendo project provides a promising pathway for vulnerable youth through demand-driven technical education. Meet the aspiring electricians, mechanics, computer technicians and the greater network of partners working to transform their futures and their region.
  • In Nicaragua, Caribbean Coast youth make history through technical education Aprendo y Emprendo supports at-risk youth with quality services that empower them with high-quality, demand-driven technical training for a successful career and hopeful future.
  • On the docks, interns repair motors and launch careers Crouched behind an engine on the back of a small motor boat, 19-year-old Soliange Pollack has a steady hand as waves rock her. A woman in a male-dominated field, she is determined to succeed and be an inspiration to others.
  • Project builds bridge for hard of hearing students demanding higher education Cheysi Smith, 27, is a pioneer. With a cohort of six other deaf and hard of hearing students, she is demanding access to higher education. See how the Aprendo y Emprendo project is helping to open those doors.
  • On air with Nicaraguan youth sharing an entrepreneurial message A group of young Nicaraguans huddle around a microphone. They’re taking to the radio airwaves on the Caribbean Coast to spread the word about the ways their peers can make better lives for themselves through education and employment.
  • New network aims to boost opportunity, business through technical education The first of its kind in the country, the Nicaraguan Network for Technical Education is building a bridge between companies, educational institutions and the government for one common goal: boosting technical education.
  • In Honduras, strong families build safer communities Teenage cousins Steven and Yuvini were at high risk for joining a gang, but through a unique family-based violence prevention program, the boys and their family are working together to lower those risk factors for violence and build resilience.
  • New program steers minority youth away from violence Despite the relative isolation of the Garifuna community, there are warning signs that Garifuna youth are not immune to the risk of becoming involved in gangs. Meet a family working to draw on traditional strengths to reduce their sons’ risk.
  • The building blocks for sustainable violence prevention from communities to the capital In its five years, Alianza Joven Honduras-USAID built a robust, nationwide violence prevention network that extended from youth volunteers in some of the most at-risk communities to government ministers. Explore its Outreach Centers, life skills coaching, Microsoft Academies, machismo workshops and other building blocks of a sustainable violence prevention approach in this special report.
  • In Honduras, violence prevention belongs to everyone For residents in at-risk Honduran communities, the Alianza Joven Honduras-USAID project has mobilized critical resources and energy to make their neighborhoods safer.
  • Honduran youth re-examine “machismo” in course to prevent violence The Alianza Joven Honduras project is prompting young men and women to think about gender stereotypes and how to counter societal pressures on young men that can lead to risky and sometimes violent behaviors.
  • Dreaming my life In Jader’s neighborhood, many youth grow up like him— without much hope for the future. Fortunately, a new approach called “The Challenge of Dreaming My Life” is helping them dream of a better future and chart a course to get there.
  • Learning Microsoft in the barrio Youth in Honduras’ most at-risk communities often have few opportunities to gain skills in technology. Through a partnership with Microsoft, Alianza Joven Honduras-USAID is bringing these opportunities to them, including the chance to get certified in tech skills valued by employers.
  • From safe spaces to jobs, new approaches to crime & violence prevention Communities across El Salvador are taking part in innovative solutions to prevent crime and violence and generate opportunity for at-risk youth. From training for in-demand jobs to philharmonic orchestras, the USAID Crime and Violence Prevention Project and the Salvadoran municipalities are helping communities to turn the tide of violence and crime.
  • Counselors challenge at-risk Salvadoran teens to dream of a better life At age 14, Maria had a reputation as a troublemaker and was at risk of leaving school. But with support from a counselor and a unique program for at-risk youth and their families, Maria turned her life around.
  • Safe spaces help communities reclaim gang-dominated space On the outskirts of San Vicente, a new playground is bringing hope to a community once-plagued by crime and violence. See how safe spaces are helping to transform neighborhoods across the country.
  • Philharmonic orchestras transform Salvadoran youth into musicians, not crime statistics In communities across El Salvador, music is helping at-risk youth to steer clear of a life of gangs and crime. Youth orchestras are part of a holistic approach to prevent crime and violence and spread opportunity.
  • For at-risk Salvadoran youth, marketable skills and jobs are lifelines Ever always dreamed of becoming a chef, but like many youth in his town his dreams seemed out of reach. All this changed when Ever enrolled in a vocational education program supported by USAID.
  • Outreach centers, “hope in the storm” for Honduran youth Amidst a storm of gang, drugs and violence, youth in at-risk neighborhoods are finding security, opportunity and hope at nearly 50 community outreach centers around Honduras. From English classes to sports and job training, these centers are preventing violence and changing lives.
  • Singer amplifies powerful peace message to fans A microphone is a powerful tool, and Honduran pop singer Eduardo Umanzor is using his to bring music, fun and inspiration to the most at-risk communities. See how the sound of hope resonates across the country.
  • Targeted prevention brings kids back from the brink Youth on the verge of joining violent gangs are the most at-risk and often the hardest to reach. Targeted secondary prevention gets to the heart of the problem, helping families and kids move away from the brink of violence.
  • School bus & teens drive Honduras anti-violence movement Driving a colorful school bus across Honduras, members of Jóvenes Contra la Violencia (the Youth against Violence movement) have an important message for kids in high-crime communities.
  • Smart private sector investments tackle violence Companies around Honduras are realizing that one of the smartest investments they can make is down the road in the country’s most at-risk neighborhoods. Lowering violence and bringing opportunity to youth is good for business and even better for the future of Honduras.
  • Faith, hope and rollerblades for kids in Honduras Can a pair of rollerblades be more powerful than drugs and gangs? Kids in one of the most dangerous cities in Honduras are strapping on skates to fight violence and show their community how young people can be a force for positive change.
  • Burgers & business give at-risk Honduran youth hope In his family’s small kitchen in one of the capital’s most at-risk neighborhoods, 23-year-old Jesus Lanza, wearing an apron and gloves, flips hamburger patties and fries potatoes.
  • Outreach centers are oases for at-risk youth Despite Panama’s significant economic growth, pockets of poverty remain—and youth are the most vulnerable. Explore how communities have organized to provide at-risk youth with opportunities, while trying to stem the temptation of gang life, through Creative’s three-year Alcance Positivo program.
  • What’s good for the company is good for the community Panama City—There are two Panamas: the rich, and the poor. Most people here live parallel lives. But a growing number of companies are getting involved in their communities—and reaping the benefits as these worlds combine.
  • Youth find safety & opportunity at outreach centers Kids in Panama don’t have it easy. Besides gangs, drugs and climbing violence they face a lack of opportunities for play and work. Creative’s Youth Outreach Centers provide a place where young people—even from opposing groups—can come to just be kids. They play games and sports, practice their computer and English skills, start small businesses and learn valuable skills for life. Watch how these centers are helping kids and communities in Panama City turn things around.
  • Youth fight violence clowning around in Panama Panama City– Ten stories up, children pause their soccer scrimmage to peek over the railing-less roof of a colossal teal apartment building. A naked man is visible from a fourth-floor window. Behind, a river serves as a haven for drug users, and a repository for the weapons gang members toss out of windows when the police show up.
  • Panama’s “two worlds” come together for youth Panama City—The sleek executive offices of ENSA, one of Panama’s largest electric distribution companies, are a world apart from the seaside city of Colón, where rotting buildings and open sewage are the backdrop for joblessness, poverty and violent crime.
  • For the first time, youth in Panama dream of their futures Panama City—There used to be a line here that you could not cross, guarded by men with guns. It separated the American Canal Zone, with its greenery, nice schools and the YMCA—constructed to offer workers with “entertainment of an elevating character”—from the rest of Panama City.
  • Community leaders guide youth away from violence in Honduras Teenage cousins Steven and Yuvini were at high risk for joining a gang, but through a unique family-based violence prevention program, the boys and their family are working together to lower those risk factors for violence and build resilience.
  • A second chance for Honduran youth in the juvenile justice system After being released from juvenile detention, Fernando is getting the support he needs to bolster his chances of successful reintegration. See how Proponte Más is helping to make rehabilitation a priority for the state and a reality for youth and families.