Creating Safe Communities
Youth facilitators in Guatemala work to deter gang violence
Hilda Méndez, 36, says all the violence she lived through as a child made her older than her years.
At 10, she was forced to take care of her sisters — ages 2, 4 and 6 at the time — because her mother fell into a depression due to her abusive spouse. Hilda would get up at 3 a.m. to feed and bathe her siblings, and for eight months she worked as a waitress to support them.
“One day I got tired, and told my mother if she didn’t value her life, I would leave with my siblings,” she said. “However, that woke my mother up, and we began to fight.”
They secured a restraining order against her father — however, a local judge did not hold him financially responsible for the family. Not to be discouraged, Hilda worked at night, studied during the day, and graduated high school. All her sisters also graduated high school, and her mother went back to community organizing.
Hilda now uses her story to inspire youth in similar situations to be strong and work to overcome their difficult circumstances. She works as a teacher and a facilitator with Fundacion Esfuerzo y Prosperidad, a USAID partner, at a youth center in Villa Nueva near Guatemala City, one of the most violent cities in the world.
“Life has given me the opportunity to share everything I have suffered,” she said.
Rising Youth Violence
Guatemala is still suffering from the repercussions of a 36-year conflict that lasted until 1996 and normalized violence among the population. Today, gangs that operate in Guatemala and other Central American countries are focused on recruiting vulnerable youth, some of whom experienced violence in their families like Hilda.
Experts say many youth decide to join gangs because they are looking for a space they feel safe and included — which often doesn’t exist in their communities or family.
To curb this rising trend, USAID is supporting Guatemala’s Public Ministry and courts to investigate and prosecute crimes, provide victim services, and hold perpetrators of violence and crime accountable.
USAID has also established community youth centers in 106 vulnerable neighborhoods across six municipalities in the country — Guatemala City, Mixco Amatitlán, Villa Nueva, Villa Canales, and San Miguel Petapa. These efforts strike at the root causes of illegal migration from the region and give Guatemalans reasons to stay and prosper in their home communities.
Hilda and other youth center facilitators like Sindy Albizures, 25, have become known as dedicated leaders in their communities. Yet they risk their lives taking on these roles. In the gang-controlled areas where the youth centers operate, deadly shootouts are not uncommon.
“I know when I leave my house, I might not make it back. But I have to keep going and live my life.” — Sindy
Restoring Hope
Sindy’s youth center offers classes in cosmetology, cooking, painting, writing and reading — including a high school equivalency course approved by the Ministry of Education. The center also provides youth with a safe place to have fun and play sports.
The activities are designed to give youth renewed hope in the future and motivation to stay in school and prepare for potential jobs. They also aim to counter the incentives to join a gang or migrate out of the country due to a lack of options.
The facilitators say many older gang members respect the youth center activities because they don’t want their own children to follow their lead into gang life.
Marcos Cesar Nájera, who volunteers as a mentor at the Amatitlán center, said the center’s activities have helped neighbors rebuild trust and relationships with the youth who live nearby.
“My goal is for the youth to receive the push they need, then replicate what they learned in their communities now and in the future,” said Hilda.
With the help of facilitators like Hilda and Sindy in Guatemala and around the world, USAID engages youth — to promote environments free from conflict and violence. With a renewed hope for their future, youth are now finding opportunities to stay and invest in their communities.
About the Author
Jessica Benton Cooney is the Communications Specialist of USAID’s Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance.
