Prime Implementer
Implementing Partners & Geographical Zones
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FunCAPEX
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Dream Project
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Fundación Abriendo Camino
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Fundación La Merced
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Patronato Benefico Oriental
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Food for the Hungry
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Fundación Sur Joven
The initiative operates in neighborhoods with high rates of violence and crime in the National District, Santo Domingo West, Santo Domingo East, La Romana, Barahona, Puerto Plata, and Santiago.
Project Timeline
October 2022- October 2027
Project Goals
The goal of the USAID Youth Led Activity is to reduce youth crime and violence in the Dominican Republic (DR) through engagement with youth-led and youth-serving organizations to generate cross-sectoral, positive youth development outcomes.
Brief Background
The primary objective of the USAID Youth-Led Activity (YLA) in the Dominican Republic is to integrate adolescents and youth who face high levels of vulnerability and marginalization into opportunities created by education, civic engagement, and economic growth. This initiative is designed to contribute to their future productivity and active citizenship.
This objective will be achieved through the identification and strengthening of protective factors and the provision of youth-friendly services within their community systems. These efforts are to prevent young people from being drawn into lifestyles that lead to crime and violence. Strengthening community resilience and reducing risk factors that contribute to youth crime and violence are crucial steps toward breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty and its associated behaviors, such as gender-based violence, machismo, school dropout, early and forced unions, and bullying.
YLA adopts a holistic and cross-sectoral approach, where interventions are interconnected, and their impact is best understood within the context of the entire program. Additionally, these interventions are linked to or impact multiple groups, areas, or sections of the community.
The targeted age groups for this program are as follows:
• 10 to 14 years old (early adolescence)
• 15 to 19 years old (adolescence)
• 20 to 24 years old (emerging adulthood)
• 25 to 29 years old (transition to adulthood)
Overview of Activities
The Youth Led Activity incorporates:
- The Positive Youth Development (PYD) Framework, which is purposely woven throughout all aspects of the activity. All intermediate results intentionally incorporate the four PYD domains.
- Marginalized youth including LGBTQIA+, youth with disabilities, and youth in conflict with the law. Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants will be intentionally integrated.
- USAID Youth in Development Policy guidelines are integrated in the cross-sectoral design of all activities, focusing on youth protection, youth services and systems, civic engagement and participation, gender, tolerance, violence prevention, healthy family and peer relations, job readiness, remedial education, life skills development, support to mental health, labor insertion and social inclusion.
- Social, economic, and labor reinsertion of youth in conflict with the law through strong research and learning components focused on evidence-based decision making.
Expected Results
- Train 20,000 youth between 10-29 years old in the 8 Keys of Excellence through the CBT Changemaker kit based on life and soft kills.
- Implement the Community Integration Model Pilot program to reach 100 youth over 18 months.
- Rollout and scaling of accelerated education activities in the nine communities.
- Conduct the financial literacy program to empower 20,000 youths between 10-29 years old with knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions, promoting financial planning and savings.
- Develop a family program with 8,000 families.
- Develop an employment intermediation program through technical vocational training. The program will be conducted through a collaborative approach with the public and private sectors.
Contact
For more information, contact Communication YLA at comunicaciones@entrenadr.com