Help marginalized Mexican children and teenagers

Dear GlobalGivers,

Happy holidays from Iztapalapa, Mexico City! I know of few better holiday gifts than to be able to tell you that thanks to you, in 2020 we exceeded our goal of working with youth to stop the spread of Covid-19! Together, we reached five of the municipalities with the highest number of cases (Iztapalapa, Xochimilco, Milpa Alta, Tlalpan and Alvaro Obregón) in Mexico. 

In total, we trained 401 people, almost all of them youth, and with the installation of 9 handwashing stations on public transport routes and in other public areas, more than 10,300 people are already safer. In addition, our digital campaign achieved more than 1,574,000 views. With Covid-19 again on the rise across Mexico this month, youth and families in these five municipalities now stand a greater chance.

Check out the photos of the handwashing stations (I absolutely love the one below of the father showing his son to use the handwashing station before they get on the bus, to prevent COVID-19)!

It is said that “When darkness is at its darkest, a star shines the brightest”, and you have made that possible. We wish you the brightest holiday season with your loved ones, be the connection in person or virtual.

In gratitude,

Shoshana

Dear GlobalGivers, 

Time flies when you are preventing Covid-19. In May, we told you about Ari, a 20-year old in Iztapalapa who is working hard to finish high school. That month, we were just developing a training for him and his peers to stop Covid-19 in the crowded and marginalized Iztapalapa borough of Mexico City, where he lives. Well in these intervening months, Covid-19 has continued to spread across the city and country at alarming rates and these teens have now completed the 8 hours of virtual training to become youth peer educators for preventing Covid-19 transmission, and they had fun while they were at it! Take a look at the screenshots attached.

Ari told us "What better way to learn than by having fun!" One of his classmates- Laura- told us: "Protect yourself! It all starts with cleanliness!" and another young woman told us "It left me thinking about the importance of mental health in staying healthy." We are so excited to accompany them as they spread these key messages throughout their communities in the coming days, weeks and months, and to see the impact unfold. We will make sure to keep you updated. 

Also, you know about our goal to reach 800,000 people with messaging to stay home and stay safe in the midst of the pandemic. Well we have reached over 1.4 million people so far! Multiple influencers here in Mexico- like @yuseffarahch and @omarmoreno_17 -lent their time and talent at no cost, allowing the campaign to reach beyond what we had envisioned. The impact is powerful. 

Thank you for all your support- you have enabled this to happen. 

With gratitude,
Shoshana and the Yo quiero Yo puedo team