Guatemala LAP

2009 Guatemala LAP

The 2009 Guatemala Team seeks to improve the access to sexual reproductive health (SRH) information, including HIV/AIDS, of 550 indigenous adolescents and youth between the ages of 13-20 in 5 communities in Quetzaltenago (Cantel, Olintepeque, San Mateo and La Esperanza) and Totonicapán (Vasquez), Guatemala. By training 10 indigenous youth leaders to work in their communities on SRH, the Team hopes to reduce the rates of HIV/AIDS infection and unwanted pregnancies in indigenous adolescents and youth. The Team hopes to strengthen gender equity in these communities through training teachers and alumni from the local education centers to be multipliers of information. The Team also plans to promote and increase the understanding of existing SRH public policy with emphasis on HIV/AIDS through implementing educational policy campaigns aimed at indigenous youth and adolescents and training youth leaders from their organizations on existing policies.

2008 Guatemala LAP

The 2008 Guatemala Team recognizes the lack of radio programs that are broadcast in Garifuna and indigenous Mayan languages, especially those programs that educate young people in the areas of sexual and reproductive health (SRH). The Team plans to develop radio programming that will support youth’s healthy decisions on SRH, while acknowledging their varying cultural view points. The Team’s main objective is to broadcast a call-in radio program, using donated radio air time that will enable youth listeners to name and describe at least 5 out of the 11 SRH topics. The radio program, “Youth Expression”, will air in Livingston, El Estor and Los Amates in the Department of Izabal and is aimed at Garifuna, Ladino and Mayan indigenous youth between the ages of 10 and 30. Bilingual broadcasters will conduct interviews with local experts on SRH topics, and then field questions from callers in Spanish, Garifuna and two Mayan languages. During 2009, the team participated in a 2½ day in-service workshop titled “Radio Production and Radio Techniques to Address the Topic of Sexual and Reproductive Health Education”, which was facilitated by a 2007 Guatemalan GOJOven Alumnus and trainer working at Tan Uxil in Peten. At the end of the workshop the Team aired its first call-in program titled “My body…who decides?” on Radio Rio Dulce 107.9. The Team also recorded several SRH radio spots that will be aired on local radio stations. The Team will launch the “Youth Expression” radio program in 2010.

LAP Guatemala 2007

The 2007 Summit Fellows in Guatemala seek to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies for girls ages 12-18 in Puerto Barrios and Livingston.  By reducing pregnancies among adolescents they hope to decrease the number of girls who are unable to complete high school.  The team also wants to reduce the discrimination that pregnant teenagers face within the school system and empower female students in five different schools within the Puerto Barrios and Livingston.

To work towards these goals, the team will train 25 youth and 25 parents and teachers in the target schools on SRH and family planning.  The trained youth, parents and teachers will then promote public awareness in other presentations and workshops to empower and educate young girls.

LAP Guatemala 2006

The 2006 team in Guatemala is working to improve the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of indigenous youth ages 10-24 in the Petén municipalities of San Luis, Sayaxche and San Jose by raising awareness and promoting sexual and reproductive rights.  By building the capacity of 30 male and female indigenous youth, these Fellows will increase awareness of SRH issues utilizing a gender, rights-based and intercultural focus.

The primary strategy is to strengthen the Peten Sexual and Reproductive Rights Network by including a focus on indigenous youth leadership. Towards this end, the team will conduct training and sensitization workshops, hold a regional meeting of indigenous youth and conduct a public forum for media to raise awareness of youth SRH issues.  The team has selected the 30 indigenous youth leaders to join the network and has held a sensitization workshop with 12 of the network coordinators on topics of power, multiculturalism and strategies to create cross-cultural alliances with indigenous youth leaders.

The team has designed and distributed SRH educational materials and successfully gained the commitment of several radio and TV stations to participate in a public forum. The local chapter of the National Intersectorial Adolescent and Youth Health Commission has also committed to providing ongoing support to the Network.

Next steps for the project include: developing and implementing the workshop for the 30 indigenous youth, planning and holding the Network meeting, validating and printing additional promotional materials, implementing the public forum to launch the strengthened multicultural network and completing the project evaluation.

LAP Guatemala 2005

The 2005 Guatemala team seeks to reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies among youth ages 13-18 in areas of Guatemala City, Sacatepequez, Chimaltenango and Sololá. These fellows will also strengthen the leadership capacity of 10 male and 10 female youth ages 13-18 though camping outings using interactive methodologies. Parents will also be involved and thus become more aware of SRH issues among youth.

To date, two three-day Youth Camps in Sololá have been held with 20 youth participants. Topics covered in these sessions include sexuality, HIV/AIDS, family planning and emergency contraceptive use. Additionally, this team has produced culturally-sensitive (?) training curriculum and didactic material for youth on SRH.

The team’s next steps are to conduct meetings and talks with parents to gain support and conduct follow-up with the participating youth.

LAP Guatemala 2004

The 2004 Guatemala team successfully completed their project to increase awareness and knowledge on family planning and reproductive health issues for youth. The Guatemala team trained 20 young leaders ranging in age from 13 to 18 from the areas of Chimaltenango, Escuintla, Solola, and Totonicopan in a 3-day workshop focused on HIV prevention. During the workshop the group of primarily Mayan youth wrote, filmed and starred in a video on HIV prevention. Using a multiplicative model, these youth leaders returned to their communities and trained their peers on RH information and counseling.

The team held a public forum to launch the video at which they distributed it to the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and numerous national and international non-profit organizations working with youth. These institutions continue to distribute the video throughout Guatemala where it is used in rural distance education.

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    GOJoven's Mission

    GOJoven promotes and supports young leaders to act as catalysts for social change in Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health. Read more here


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