"Several weeks of programming on awareness and prevention of teen pregnancies concluded this week with a well-attended and captivating march on Saturday August 4^th in Hato del Yaque, an urban community outside of Santiago in the Dminican Republic.  With financial support provided by the AMIGOS Foundation, volunteers Monica Leflore, Amy Provost, and Dominican Juan Ariel Novas worked closely with local youth and an active Mothers’ Club to organize a teen pregnancy mentorship program and increase community awareness.  Assisted by doctors and a psychiatrist from our partner agency, Children International, the volunteers identified and trained well-respected women in the community as mentors for young girls considering parenthood, pregnant teenagers, and adolescent mothers.  These three trainings sparked enlightened discourse and motivated community members to participate actively in the campaign.  On August 4^th, over 60 people – adults, youth, and young children – gathered to learn more about the cause and march through the streets of Hato del Yaque in matching t-shirts, proclaiming “Mantenga su Libertad.”  In spite of the rain, participants distributed informational brochures and magnets to community members along the route.  This is just the beginning!  With the guidance of dedicated youth and the Mothers’ Club, the program will continue to flourish and grow long after the departure of the AMIGOS volunteers."

Every AMIGOS Volunteer completes a community-led initiative as part of their AMIGOS experience.  Each year there are some communities and Volunteers, like Hato del Yaque, that wish to go above and beyond with an additional project. The AMIGOS Foundation provides funding for these innovative projects through a grant program named for our founder Guy Bevil. If you would like to learn more about the Bevil Grant projects going on this year, visit their webpage to see more.