Meet the Fellows!
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Documents and downloads for Fellows.Glendis Marlene Gallardo Mendoza
Glendis Marlene Gallardo Mendoza, 23 upon receipt of the Summit Fellowship, works as Policy Coordinator of Asociacion Tan Uxil, the only sexual and reproductive health organization run by and dedicated entirely to youth in Guatemala. Previously the Coordinator of the Network of Volunteer Youth Promoters for Tan Uxil, Glendis was trained as a facilitator by Puntos de Encuentro in Nicaragua and replicated workshops in the Petén to train Tan Uxil volunteers on sexual and reproductive rights and HIV/AIDS prevention. She has acted as a facilitator for IFPLP and GOJoven, and currently provides workshops to school teachers on how to cover SRH in their classrooms. She is the Coordinator of the Petén Branch of the National Intersectoral Commission on Comprehensive Youth and Adolescent Health Services and is a member of REDLAC, the Latin American Network for Sexual and Reproductive Rights. Currently a third year student in Social Work, Jenny hopes to direct youth programs in Petén in the future.
REST IN PEACE
Rosa María Castro
Rosa María Castro, Rosa is a 27-year-old woman who has spent the last four years working as a pre-school teacher at Children’s Nest Pre-school in the rural town of Valle de Paz, Cayo District, Belize. Originally from El Salvador, Rosa is bilingual and most comfortable speaking in Spanish. She volunteers with the governmental health education and outreach program and participates in the rural health committee in her village. She has participated in local projects and training on providing health services to people with HIV. She describes here leadership style as responsible, punctual and organized and sees herself as a community organizer. Rosa is particu-larly concerned by the adolescent pregnancy rate in her village and in GOJoven hopes to improve her skills in group facilitation, communication, and conflict resolu-tion in order to gain trust of and be a resource for the youth of her community. Rosa dreams of continuing her education through attending and graduating from high school and beyond.
Edna Cano
Edna Cano, a native of Benque, Belize, was 20 years old when she was awarded the Summit Fellowship. Teaching at a Catholic high school in Santa Elena, Cayo, Edna instructs Social Studies, Geography, Life Skills and Spanish to young students. Rather than let the conservative values of the school limit her capacity to teach her students about sexual and reproductive health (SRH), she has managed through creativity and strategic thinking to cover these topics. She has an Associates Degree in International Business and for her future hopes to be an even better teacher and possibly a principle of a school where she can set an example of good leadership, providing positive direction and meeting the needs of the students.
St. Ignatius High School
Walter Santos
Walter Santos is the founder and frequent volunteer of BADCATS (Belize Adventure Culture and Technology), Walter works to improve the lives of at risk youth by teaching them survival skills through outdoor leadership training. He has worked extensively with youth to help them stop using drugs through setting up job placement and career counseling programs. He educates young people on issues of environmental consciousness through his caving expeditions and in his training as a Divemaster. Through his studies as paramedic, Walter works with US doctors providing medical care in rural Belizean villages. Walter is recognized and respected by youth as a role model committed to developing their leadership. His future plans are to finish high school, become a rescue specialist and teach disaster medicine to improve the lives of youth and adults around the world.
Ian Aderson’s Caves Branch Adventure Company
Gloria Avila
Gloria Avila, a Garifuna woman from the border town of Benque Viejo del Carmen, was 21 years old when she became a Summit Fellow. Gloria is a passionate believer in young people and their capacities. Gloria is originally from the town of Dangriga, where she has seen many challenges that face youth, such as early pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and HIV/AIDS. She worked as a volunteer for the government’s youth arm, Youth for the Future, conducting trainings and educating out of school youth on violence prevention, HIV/AIDS, and strategic planning. She is recognized as a youth leader due to her gift and ability to translate complicated information and keep youth motivated and interested. Gloria graduated from junior college with an associate’s degree in International Business, and is a teacher in the Mahogany Hights Belize District .
Youth for the Future Cayo
Omar Lucio Rodriguez
Omar Lucio Rodriguez was selected as a Summit Fellow at age 29. He is a police officer responsible for safety and security in the village of Succotz, close to the Guatemala border. A dynamic and community-oriented young man, Omar has a passion for helping young people. He is passionate about helping young women get out of violent relationships and stay in school; he often finds himself counseling women and men on violence prevention and educating young people on pregnancy and HIV prevention though the use of condoms and fidelity. He collaborates with Youth for the Future in educating in the local schools on issues of human rights and the rights of youth and children. Omar is a Mormon, but is respectful of others’ beliefs and would never debate religion or impose his practices on others. His future goal is to move to San Ignacio, where he can interact with more young people, and to study social work in the evenings.
Belize Police
Kenneth Rafael Esquivel
Kenneth Rafael Esquivel is 24 years old, the middle child in a family of seven brothers. He holds an Associates Degree in Chemistry and Biology from the Corozal Junior College in Corozal Town, Belize, and has worked at the Belize Fisheries Department as an Assistant Fisheries Officer for the past two years. Kenneth’s job entails carrying out surveys and monitoring marine species such as lobster, conch, fish and shrimp. He also interviews “fisher folks” to ensure that they are using good fishing practices, so that the fish stocks stay at healthy margins. In doing so, he helps the Department consider alternative livelihoods, apart from fishing.
Kenneth is also a part of the Public Service Union of Belize (PSU), and an active member of the PSU Youth Arm. The Public Service Union is composed of government employees, and its Youth Arm includes members of the PSU under the age of thirty. The Youth Arm undertakes community service activities, including cleaning highways and painting parks, as well as contributing items to schools. They also do educational outreach programs, including giving talks at schools about HIV/AIDS and other STIs to older students. Kenneth also volunteers with Young People of Belize, in collaboration with the Belize Ministry of Health, where he deals with problems facing men who have sex with men in the country.
Agricultural and Fisheries Department
Guadalupe Lovelia Magaña
Guadalupe Lovelia Magaña Lupe, who is 28 years old, was born in Corozal, Belize. After graduating high school, she continued to empower herself by attending St. Johns College, where she obtained an associates degree in General Studies.
Lupe has always participated actively in community projects, not only in her own community but also throughout her district. She has a special ability to work with people, especially adolescents. Lupe began working with young people in 1995 as a volunteer, and has worked in the environmental field as community worker and as a teacher. She was president of the Progresso Youth Club and implemented a watershed project for three years. Lupe has also contributed to the development of her country as a volunteer for the charitable organization Raleigh International. In this organization, she visited other districts of Belize, where she learned about a variety of people from her country.
Presently, Lupe continues to work for the development of youth through the Belize Community Rehabilitation Department as the Community Rehabilitation Officer for Orange Walk District. In this position, she plays an important advocacy role for youth who come into contact with the justice system. Presently, she is also studying for her diploma in Youth in Development Work at the University of the West Indies. Lupebelieves strongly that given the opportunity, young people can change if the proper environment is being molded for them.
Community Rehabilitation Department
Felix Mai
Felix Mai was a 30-year-old high school English teacher in Orange Walk when he became a Summit Fellow. Felix has been a volunteer with the Alliance Against AIDS and Belize Red Cross. Felix is engaged in radio and has a personal interest in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Felix is a visionary thinker, and a young man developing solutions to some of his country’s greatest challenges. Felix’s involvement will not only impact the young people with whom he works, but also generate larger scale impacts through his continued part-time work in the media. Currently Felix works as Assistant Fisheries Officer at the Agriculture and Fisheries Department in Belize City.
Muffles High School
Amilcar Milian
Amilcar Milian was 28 years old when he became a Summit Fellow and is constable with the Family Violence Unit of the Belize Police Department. Although the Belize Police Department has not been engaged in the area of reproductive health, Amilcar recognizes the importance of leadership development training within the force and the need to be more proactive in preventing gender-based violence. We expect that Amilcar will act as an agent for change within one of Belize’s most influential government institutions.
Belize Police Department
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
Leadership Action Plans
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