Overarching Goal and Objectives:

Goal:

to build leadership and life skills of youth in the Americas through exchange, civic engagement, and collaborative community development

Objectives:

1. Increase active youth involvement in communities
2. Increase knowledge and awareness of cultural, environmental, and health issues
3. Collaborate with community members on Community-Based Initiative (CBI) process

Project Specific Activities:

Volunteers will facilitate educational activities on health and environment with children between the ages of 5-12.  They will be working in class room setting 2 to 3 times a week.  Sample class topics from 2007 include nutrition, personal hygiene, fitness, and dental care.  There will be a specific focus on health-related educational activities as Volunteers will be collaborating with outside experts from the Secretary of Health to give workshops on various health topics.    

Additionally, Volunteers will be collaborating with community members on the planning and implementation of a Community-Based Initiative (CBI).  Example CBI projects from 2007 include making a soccer field, playground, library, trash cans, and painting murals.

Project Area:

The city of Guanajuato is a cultural hotspot, offers beautiful colonial architecture and is a popular vacation spot for Mexicans because of its rich history. Guanajuato was the seat of the Mexican revolution.  The dishes are exquisite, with lots of flavor and spice.  The climate is arid, with temperatures ranging from high 60s to the low 90s.  AMIGOS Volunteers will work in three municipalities located within three hours of the city: Valle de Santiago, Yuriria, and Abasolo. These areas are primarily agricultural, with some industrial sectors.   

Project History:

AMIGOS began working in Guanajuato in 1981. In 1983, we initiated our partnership with the Department of Health in Guanajuato, collaborating on a community sanitation and home improvement project. AMIGOS continued working primarily with that project for many years, while also adding vision screenings, dental hygiene, reforestation, and gardening projects.

In 2001, AMIGOS worked to support projects planned through partnerships between the communities, the Department of Health, and local municipal governments. The following year saw the birth of the Youth-to-Youth Community Development program, which aimed to provide increased social development and community service opportunities for children and young people living in rural Guanajuato. The Youth-to-Youth program was extremely successful and started a shift in the way in which AMIGOS does capacity building projects in Latin America.

Partner Agencies:

Desarrollo Integral de la Familia
Secretaría de Salud de Guanajuato

Further Actions:

• Apply to Volunteer
• Apply to Serve on Project Staff
• View Photos from the 2007 Guanajuato Project!