Girls, boys and youth
Projects
Individual monitoring
In this component of the program we work in a personalized way with our children and young people. We create individual accompaniment schemes that respond to the needs and particularities of our participants.
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In 2019 we provided individual accompaniment to 19 children and youth, through strategies developed to accompany them in their current life processes. Also, the team was trained throughout the year in La Triple Postura, a methodology for working with vulnerable populations that helps us promote the autonomy and safety of the participants, while taking care of the team and preventing emotional exhaustion.
"When I arrived at Imaginalco I was much more serious, over time I began to gain confidence by meeting more people, with several I have formed good friends. I really appreciate the help they have given me to lose my fear, now I can realize many things that I did not want to see before and that have allowed me to grow. I have faced challenges, such as being able to sing in public. I see the space and the people who go to Imaginalco as a second family, a place where I have been heard. I want to continue taking here new challenges and keep learning new things like in music workshops. "
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Myriam Lucrecia Acuitlapa Amilpa, 19 years old
Youth Leaderships
The youth leadership program works to train women and men ages 15-29 to become positive leaders and role models within the community. We believe in youth and promote their potential, by promoting their participation and integral development within the Imaginalco operating team. By training them, we ensure the sustainability of the intervention and invest in generating social capital within Malinalco.
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During this year, 19 young people participated in the youth leadership training program. In addition, we articulated it to the Federal Government's Youth Building Future strategy, which allowed us to work with more young people and guide them towards developing employability skills.
"I like working with children and young people, being part of the reflection and activities that help their personal growth, giving them part of my time and making the time they spend in the spaces make them want to return the next day. I like to be a role model for those who come after me and the people around me. Imaginalco has changed my life by filling it with learning and tools. I have learned to face my fears, to be more secure, to commit to what interests me and to be able to recognize my effort, commitment and dedication. I want to be more professional in what I do and that is why I put effort into each training and each meeting. The work and support that the trainers give us makes me always feel accompanied by the team. "
Elizabeth Noriega Hernández, 25 years old
Girls club
Girls Club is a space for coexistence and reflection dedicated to our girls and young people. A safe place to address issues of gender, sexuality, self-care and relationships, where we celebrate feminine energy and promote the knowledge and full use of women's rights.
This year, the exclusive work with girls diversified into new activities, which led to the Girls in Wheels activity: bicycle rides that, in addition to promoting sport and adventure, allowed us to generate moments of reflection, fun and mutual care between the girls.
"Being part of the girls' club means that I can live together and talk about my problems, what is happening, and how I feel with other girls and thus be able to support each other when we need it. By being close to everyone and doing different activities my life has improved. "
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Dulce Zepeda García, 15 years old
Hiker patrol
The Hike Patrol is one of our developmental and fun programs for children and teens through adventure, cycling, and camping. This year, 22 boys, girls and young people participated in the project. In addition, we started with a special strategy to motivate and integrate more girls and young women to participate in the program that was mainly made up of men. With this, we are able to foster positive relationships between boys and girls. Our operators were directly included in the activity and, in this way, we took another step in favor of building a Mexico with greater gender equality.
"I like to go out on bikes because I discover different places. In my family there are no other women who practice a sport, they say that these things are for men. I believe that this can be done by both a man and a woman."
Esmeralda Hernández, 15 years old
Yaotécatl soccer school
We use soccer as a healthy and fun tool for reaching out to our boys and girls. In addition to giving them sports training, the model allows us to work on their social skills for life and to understand how we can become a deeper support in the personal lives of our participants. In 2019 we are committed to professionalizing our service model through football, in alliance with Proyecto Cantera who share their methodology to train other institutions. This is helping us to work more deeply with the more than 60 boys and girls who participated in the Yaotécatl soccer school this year.
"The trainings we have received in Yaotécatl from the Cantera Project have taught me to integrate the teaching of social skills for girls and boys through sport. Before, the focus was a lot on physical effort, on winning. Thanks to these sessions we have learned structures that help us to detect the needs and emotional situations of children. One of the tools that I liked the most is the green card. It is a modality in which we emphasize the positive attitudes of girls and boys to stop focusing mainly on the negative. This has been the most important, it helps the children to know that even though they may have problems at home, the court is a warm refuge, a safe space for them, where they feel free, contained, understood and loved by their coaches. "
Martín López Guzmán, Soccer coach Yaotécatl
Xoloschool
Project dedicated to guaranteeing the right to a quality education, through support for school expenses, academic tutoring, pedagogical advice and psychosocial support. Through Xoloescuela we contribute to ensuring that young people continue with their studies, improve their performance, and expand their possibilities to make decisions about their lives.
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During 2019 we had three scholars at the preparatory level, and two scholars at the university level. More than 70 children participated in the reading workshop, and 8 young people received pedagogical advice in English and mathematics.
"Entering the Xoloschool changed my life. Before, I had neither the possibility nor the interest to continue studying after finishing high school. When I arrived at the program I met Carlos and Víctor, they helped me to have confidence in myself and finish my paperwork. What I like the most is that they never abandon you and give you all the available options to face the challenges. The financial support Imaginalco has given me has been very important since without that resource I would not have been able to continue with my studies."
Antonio Torres Landeros, 20 years old
Game afternoons
In 2019, as part of the work with young people of the community who are in training, the project "Game Afternoons" emerged, a safe, fun and educational space in which children learn to share and express their ideas and emotions. The project is designed for our participants to develop psychosocial skills for life, through play and imagination, in a place where they can fully enjoy their childhood.
"What I like the most about Imaginalco is that everyone is friendly"
Walter Fuentes Millán, 11 years old
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