Young Girls Making Connections

September, 2008: EngenderHealth’s Senior Technical Advisor for Youth, Jennifer Catino, reports on a trip to Guatemala.

Recently, I witnessed a true “grassroots movement” taking hold. In August, I traveled to Guatemala, where EngenderHealth is working with the Population Council to expand a program called Abriendo Oportunidades (Creating Opportunities), started in 2004, for young indigenous girls living in rural areas. Many of these communities are very small, with a population of only 1,000–2,000, and subsistence agriculture is the main livelihood for families. As I made my way from Guatemala City over bumpy off-road tracks through deep green hills—many of which had been flooded by recent heavy rains—I could not help but be reminded of how difficult conditions are for those living in the area. Many girls do not have the chance to go school and instead spend their days helping on the family’s farm or looking after younger siblings. Early marriage and childbirth are the norm, and these perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

But Abriendo Oportunidades is changing that reality. By establishing “community girls’ clubs,” the program helps girls aged 8–18 imagine and achieve a different life. Through the clubs, girls from Mayan ethnic groups come together to learn, exchange, develop new skills, and connect to health care and social services. In the process, they increase their opportunities to earn a living, gain confidence, and become role models in their communities.

Girls participating in Abriendo Oportunidades spend one year learning about their rights, receiving health and life skills education, and developing leadership skills. After they complete their course, most of the girls stay involved in the clubs through sports and recreation or arts and crafts groups, giving them a safe, productive place to go and a sense of belonging among friends and peers. Many of those girls then become mentors themselves, leading initiatives in their communities.

Convincing parents that the girls clubs are worthwhile can be challenging at times. But Abriendo Oportunidades engages parents and shows them how the girls will be learning useful skills that will help them achieve a better life. It’s critical to involve parents so that they allow the girls the room and freedom to live out what they are learning in the clubs.

Currently, there are girls’ clubs in 14 communities, and the program will be expanded to 17 new rural areas. Thus far, more than 2,000 girls have participated. In a town called Tecpan, we met with a group of program participants and graduates, including one named Leticia*. Like many others, 19-year-old Leticia began going to school after joining the girls’ club. I heard that when she first came to the club, she was very shy and would not look you in the eye if you were talking with her. She had few friends or social connections in her community. But Leticia soon made friends who helped her through difficult times, and she started going to school. She put herself through nursing school and then went to work in a hospital in a bigger town. Today, she talks about how the program gave her confidence and connected her to other girls through its network, girls from all over the country who continue to motivate and inspire her.

Meeting young women like Leticia, I am confident that we are having an impact. EngenderHealth and its partners are the only ones reaching these girls, who are among the most vulnerable and underserved in their communities. As we move forward, it is encouraging to see girls themselves leading the process and changing their communities.

* name changed for anonymity