He Left His Gang Family Behind
Once “dedicated” to crime, a young man in the Dominican Republic transforms his life and finds new purpose
Saúl Vásquez is the youngest of four brothers raised by a single mother. Born and raised in La Ciénaga, a neighborhood in the National District of the Dominican Republic known for crime and violence, he had a very hard childhood.
“Due to the precariousness that I have in my family, with absent parents and older brothers who never took care of me, since the age of 10 I have had to take care of myself by making the streets as my allies, which was the first and only option,” he says.
When he was young, Saúl’s friends led him down the wrong path. At age 14, he left school and was recruited into a gang. He committed all sorts of crimes, including robbery, which became his main source of income.
“In my adolescence, due to a lack of support and bad guidance, I was involved in different criminal gangs, which led me to make bad decisions, doing things that I totally regret. The gang I led, we called ourselves Los Perros (The Dogs), [and we were] a group of adolescents and young people who were dedicated to crime,” he remembers. By the age of 18, his involvement in crime had intensified: he started using firearms.
Fortunately for Saúl, a change was not too far off. For years, USAID has been working to reach at-risk young people and offer alternatives to a life of crime and violence. In 2014, USAID created its first At-Risk Youth Network in the National District, including in La Ciénaga, to empower youth and enlist them to actively prevent crime and violence in their communities.
These networks have more than 500 active members who are trained in areas such as leadership, conflict mediation, life skills, and laws that affect youth. Each of the 11 networks is composed of equal numbers of men and women, and includes youth who live in high-risk environments, members of the LGBTI+ community, people with disabilities, youth in conflict with the law, previous perpetrators or victims of violence, illicit drug users, and people without identity documents. Young people are educated about their rights and responsibilities, provided with technical training, and connected with job opportunities.
José Eduardo Gómez, president of the At-Risk Youth Network of Santiago, says the networks “are a tool for raising awareness among young people on crime prevention issues and providing tools that allow young people to build coexistent environments free of violence. The network focuses on promoting the positive development of youth and contributing to the increase of citizen security. We bring young people closer to the legal framework of citizen participation. The network promotes empowerment with knowledge.”
Two of Saúl’s neighbors, who were members of the network in the National District, invited him to one of their meetings in April 2017 just as he was graduating to more violent crimes. At first, he was skeptical. But he decided to give it a try.
Despite feeling he did not deserve to be there because of his criminal acts, he participated in trainings on leadership, culture of peace, and conflict mediation.
“Many of the youth in the network were afraid of me at the beginning and did not want to be friends with me because of my lifestyle,” Saúl explained, “but as time passed they welcomed me as part of the family, they listened to me. I know that I can contribute [a lot], so they do not make the same mistakes I did.”
In the network, he learned to manage and strengthen his life skills, and most importantly decided not to be involved in violence anymore. “Since joining I have not been able to leave. I am extremely grateful for the project because it allowed me to get away from that world of crime in which I was involved. The project taught me that the streets are not the only way out and that I can be a better person and achieve everything that I propose [myself],” he said.
Now, Saúl has a new life. “In recent months I have dedicated myself to training; I am currently doing a barbering course because I have the intention of one day starting my own barbershop.”
Even though Saúl is currently unemployed, with support, he left his past behind.
“It has been difficult due to the economic situation, the lack of employment has been a challenge,” he said. “At the beginning I thought about returning to the ‘band,’ but thanks to the support I have received on the network, these thoughts remain in the past. I am focused on finishing my course and being able to earn an income. Another thing that gives me strength is being able to support other young people who, like me, did not see a way out, so that they can have better opportunities for their development.”
He has been motivated by the knowledge he has gained, and the welcoming attitude from his new friends. The National District Youth Network, he says, is where he found a family that supports him and where he feels he belongs.
He has a message for those who feel trapped in the cycle of crime and violence: “I know from my own experience that crime and violence are not the solution to the obstacles that arise in life, because most conflicts can be resolved peacefully through effective communication, and if not, there are authorities that help us solve these types of problems. To all the young people who read my story, I would like to tell you: pursue your goals, because dreams do come true.”
About the Initiative: USAID’s At-Risk Youth Initiative has impacted the lives of more than 150,000 vulnerable youth in more than 500 neighborhoods with highest levels of crime and violence across the Dominican Republic. The networks were created to support youth in becoming empowered leaders to reduce and prevent crime and violence in their communities.
About the Author
Brenda Silverio is the Social Media Specialist at USAID’s Mission in the Dominican Republic. Entrena also contributed to the story.
