Let's Grow: Youth as Agents of Change
Volunteering is a powerful force for economic and social development. Michelle, an ambitious university student in El Salvador, recognized volunteering as an opportunity to address social needs in her country that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This led her to start Let's Grow, an organization run by fellow university students, with the aim of serving vulnerable communities in El Salvador.
Let's Grow recently partnered with USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) to revitalize La Presita 1 in San Miguel, a community that has long suffered from gang-related violence and displacements.
“Young people could not go out, go to school, or play outside of their community for fear of being mugged, beaten, or even murdered,” said one of the Let’s Grow volunteers.
Youth in La Presita have largely grown up in confinement, without opportunities to socialize or engage freely in public spaces.
“During our first visits, we noticed young people were very individualistic and didn’t feel like talking or participating,” recalls another Let’s Grow member. Overcoming this challenge required finding common ground. After several visits and conversations, the volunteers discovered that the local soccer field served as a safe space where both young and old congregated, becoming the entry-point for change.
Initially, 32 youth and 14 adults came together to paint six murals around the field. The positive environment and improved perception led to more collaborative mural projects throughout the community, with more than 100 community members ultimately joining the efforts. “We were able to get adults and youth to work together,” says one of the volunteers. This type of youth involvement and participation helps to ensure sustainable community engagement in public spaces. The youth expressed that they are motivated to continue working for their community by the desire for change and to be protagonists in overcoming the negative stigma faced by La Presita I.
In addition to supporting the community murals initiative, Let’s Grow facilitated interactive community participation sessions focused on enhancing coexistence, collaboration, and unity through fun activities with a learn by doing approach. These sessions, tailored for both youth and adults, highlighted concepts of harmony, the value of each individual in community development, empathy, and the importance of inclusive spaces. Throughout the course of this initiative, Let’s Grow has not only strengthened bonds between community members, but also established a strong relationship with the community. Some of La Presita’s youth have since joined the Let’s Grow team and are now representing Let’s Grow in additional activities.
“We built bonds of trust. This is a life process that helps you transform,” said a Let’s Grow member.
This principle guides their activities, and the people of La Presita 1 exemplify the transformative impact of rebuilding those bonds. Together, they are overcoming fear, breaking down barriers, dispelling stigma, and developing a more open and inclusive community way of life.