(ANS) – Violence in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and the state of Baja California, Mexico, is a reality that marks the daily lives of thousands of families. Insecurity has increased in recent months, and extortion practices – popularly known as ‘vaccines’ – also affect small street businesses. In this difficult context, the Building Societies and life projects free from violence project, supported by the Spanish Salesian NGO Bosco Global, has been accompanying the young people and families of those communities for 15 months, so that they can continue to dream and build their future, free from threats and constraints of any kind.
The Don Bosco Centre in the SocioVivienda 2 sector and Don Bosco House on Daule Street, in Guayaquil, have become two true oases for the young people of the area. At the moment, the Salesian team is offering concrete alternatives to 360 young people and 170 families, modelling its offer according to their most urgent needs.
‘The work to be done is enormous, but we know how important it is for a young person to be able to continue his studies and have opportunities for the future. This confirms to us that it is worth it,’ explains Begoña Simal, Project Coordinator. ’We cannot ignore the harshness of reality, but we can offer opportunities that show that another way of life is possible.’
Promoting a culture of peace
One of the greatest challenges is to spread a culture of peace in contexts dominated by violence. The project offers personalised psychological assistance with specialists, safe spaces for dialogue and opportunities for young people to participate in initiatives such as the Local Citizenship Forum. These were all experiences that strengthened in the participants the idea that peaceful coexistence is not only possible, but close and achievable with just a little effort on everyone’s part.
Preventing school drop-outs
Another priority objective of the project is to curb school drop-out, in the knowledge that youth left to their own devices end up more easily subject to the adulterous sirens of the underworld. To this end, the project’s educators accompany adolescents and young people in their studies on a daily basis, and the project has distributed school kits that are enabling many to continue attending school.
Formation for the future
In addition, 115 young people have participated in technical formation courses in areas such as industrial mechanics, carpentry, cutting and sewing, baking or computer science. Workshops were also organised for becoming barbers and mobile phone repairers, trades that offer quick job opportunities and require minimal initial investment. These formation courses are complemented by training in interpersonal skills and entrepreneurship, and are complemented by internships in companies, which help participants build real, effective and sustainable life projects.
‘The work is not easy and the challenges are great, but the results show that every effort pays off. We want to continue offering opportunities to more young people living in difficult situations, say BoscoGlobal project leaders. Last but not least, they do not fail to thank all the collaborating institutions whose contributions are making this initiative so important for so many people possible: from Spain, Camins-Fundació Social Escola Pia; Educación Solidaria, in Mexico; the Salesians in Ecuador; and the Catalan Agency for Development Support, for economic support.