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Organization: Melel Xojobal, A.C.
Project: Protagonist Participation for Contextual Education as a Right for Working Children
During the last six months, the project reached 138 children directly and 525 indirectly, nearly meeting its annual targets. Activities were implemented in four public markets and squares in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, strengthening non-formal education spaces for indigenous working children aged 4 to 11.
A key achievement was the strengthening of learning circles and school reinforcement, particularly with the introduction of the Mobile School in August, which led to a 75% improvement in participants’ educational skills, including literacy, numeracy, and fine motor development. Learning activities were playful, contextualized, and adapted to children’s daily realities.
In terms of children’s rights and violence prevention, weekly sessions enabled 85% of participants to identify and name their rights, while 80% recognized situations of rights violations, mainly related to health and safety. Additionally, 55% of children showed a reduction in violent behaviors and improved emotional regulation, supported through artistic and expressive activities.
The project operated in a challenging context marked by harassment and eviction threats against working families in central areas of the city. In response, surveys with parents identified priority needs related to security, income, and access to education. The organization coordinated rights fairs and informational actions on birth registration, school enrollment, family communication, and health, in collaboration with partner organizations.
Family engagement was also strengthened, with 55% of parents actively participating in educational and community activities. Finally, the project promoted children’s and adolescents’ public participation, including an action on the International Day of the Girl, where more than 45 girls and adolescents used artistic expressions to advocate for their right to a life free from violence.
Organization: Formación y Capacitación, A.C. (FOCA)
Project: Visibility and Strengthening of Midwives and Apprentices
During the last six months, the project exceeded its initial targets, reaching 60 midwives and apprentices directly and 115 people indirectly across seven municipalities in Chiapas. The initiative focused on strengthening traditional midwifery through an intercultural, gender, and women’s rights-based approach, while promoting intergenerational dialogue between master midwives and apprentices.
Three strategic training workshops were implemented, combining political leadership, women’s rights, comprehensive health, and obstetric emergency care. These processes provided both theoretical and practical tools to improve maternal care, prevent obstetric violence, and strengthen midwives’ capacity to act as community and political leaders. A core component of the project was the replication of knowledge at the community level, allowing participants to share what they learned with families and other midwives, multiplying impact and reinforcing the social fabric.
FOCA also carried out follow-up visits in each municipality to accompany participants, evaluate learning, and support the practical application of new skills. These visits strengthened apprentices’ leadership roles and ensured the continuity and effective transmission of traditional knowledge. Spaces for reflection and advocacy were created to raise visibility for midwifery, address challenges faced by practitioners, and promote social and institutional recognition of their work.
Despite logistical challenges related to weather conditions, community schedules, and activity rescheduling, the project advanced through flexible planning and ongoing communication with participants. Key results include stronger intergenerational mentorship, improved emergency response capacities, increased awareness of obstetric violence, and greater recognition of traditional midwifery as both a cultural heritage and a health right.
Overall, the project has reinforced midwives’ technical, organizational, and political capacities, contributing to improved maternal and community health while ensuring the sustainability of traditional midwifery practices in Indigenous territories.
Organization: Hogar Comunitario, Yach’il Antzetic, A.C.
Project: New Women: Comprehensive Development Free from Violence
During the last six months, the project provided comprehensive support to 482 people directly and 400 indirectly in six municipalities in Chiapas, addressing situations of violence, labor exploitation, unplanned pregnancy, and social vulnerability. The initiative focused on primary care, preventive education, skills development, and organizational strengthening to promote dignity, rights, and economic autonomy for women, children, and adolescents.
Organizational capacity was reinforced through monthly team meetings, improved volunteer induction, and stronger coordination with schools and regional actors. The Comprehensive Support Program offered ongoing emotional accompaniment and prenatal care to women experiencing violence or unplanned pregnancies, reaching 45 women and 6 men; six women received prenatal care, and one birth took place at the organization’s facilities.
Preventive education activities were implemented in schools, universities, and community spaces, reaching 393 girls, boys, adolescents, and young people through participatory and age-appropriate methodologies. These workshops addressed the prevention of gender-based violence, early pregnancies, and human trafficking, achieving high levels of participation and engagement.
Through the TRAMA program, Hogar Comunitario strengthened women’s skills for self-employment by expanding manual arts workshops in both urban and rural communities. Sixty-two women participated in textile, embroidery, crochet, and macramé training, improving product quality, income opportunities, and the value of cultural and creative knowledge. The organization adapted its strategy by prioritizing these workshops over the community garden, significantly expanding reach and impact.
Key achievements include the consolidation of a strong social support network—evidenced by the fact that 70% of participants were referred by other women—the surpassing of participation targets, strengthened alliances with educational institutions and health organizations, and improved team care and security measures. Overall, the project has enhanced women’s healing processes, autonomy, and collective resilience, contributing to safer and more empowered communities.
Organization: Sanando Heridas, A.C.
Project: Strengthening Oral Health in Tsotsil Communities of Los Altos de Chiapas
During the second half of the year, the project reached 622 people directly and 1,078 indirectly through a combination of dental care services and preventive health education in seven indigenous communities and at the Sanando Heridas Clinic in San Cristóbal de Las Casas. The initiative focused on improving oral health and promoting healthy habits among children and families, with particular attention to low-income populations.
Dental care services were delivered consistently, completing 100% of planned clinic-based activities and 95% of community-based consultations. A total of 375 dental consultations were provided, primarily to children and women, addressing prevention, basic treatment, and emergency needs. Despite weather-related disruptions in some communities, services were adapted to ensure continuity and maximize available resources.
Preventive education was a central component of the project. Twelve educational workshops on healthy eating and oral health were implemented in preschools and primary schools, reaching 335 children aged 3 to 12 through participatory and age-appropriate methodologies. Complementary workshops with families and teachers reinforced these messages and encouraged healthier practices in school environments. Notably, one school committee committed to installing a water dispenser to ensure children’s access to safe drinking water.
The project also strengthened its educational tools by updating and producing culturally and linguistically relevant materials, including games focused on nutrition and oral health. These materials were distributed to schools to support long-term learning and replication by teachers.
Key achievements include surpassing planned coverage targets, expanding dental care in communities, and strengthening prevention-focused practices among children and families. The main challenges were related to extended rainy seasons and school schedule disruptions; however, these periods were used productively to improve educational materials and planning. Overall, the project has contributed to improved oral health, healthier school environments, and greater awareness of preventive care, reinforcing community trust and sustainable health practices in Los Altos de Chiapas.
Organization: Foro para el Desarrollo Sustentable, A.C. (Semillero 259 and Patrulla Roja)
Project: Agroecological Community for Good Living
During the second semester, the project exceeded its planned coverage, reaching 184 direct beneficiaries and 4,873 indirect beneficiaries through a comprehensive program of artistic, agroecological, sports, and community-based activities in northern and southern San Cristóbal de Las Casas. The initiative promoted self-care, collective care, and environmental awareness among children and youth by integrating culture, agroecology, art, and physical well-being in accessible public and community spaces.
Environmental art and communication activities—such as painting, muralism, rhyme, and poetry workshops—raised awareness around agroecology, pollution, and traditional foods, while strengthening cultural identity and a sense of belonging. Physical activation through breaking dance and sports fostered healthy lifestyles, inclusion, and community coexistence, linking personal well-being with care for the environment.
Agroecology and healthy eating were reinforced through the implementation of school gardens, composting practices, and cooking workshops using local ingredients. These activities contributed to improved eating habits, food security, and self-sufficiency among participants and their families. Recycling workshops further encouraged responsible waste management and the adoption of sustainable daily practices. In parallel, the creation of educational content for social media and the involvement of local actors in summer workshops expanded the project’s reach and strengthened collective learning and knowledge exchange.
Capacity-building strategies emphasized peer learning and community leadership, with more experienced participants mentoring younger generations through artistic expression and hands-on practice. Key achievements include increased community participation, strengthened presence in schools, and expanded visibility through digital platforms. No significant challenges were encountered during this period. Overall, the project has consolidated itself as a space for youth leadership, environmental awareness, and community transformation, laying the groundwork for replication in other neighborhoods and communities.
Organization: Tierra Roja Cuxtitali, A.C.
Project: Tierra Roja Cuxtitali: 10 Years of Peace and Community Learning
During the second semester, the project exceeded its planned coverage, reaching 93 direct beneficiaries and 420 indirect beneficiaries in urban-peripheral neighborhoods of San Cristóbal de Las Casas. Through its four integrated areas—comprehensive education, socio-emotional development, socio-environmental education, and community participation—the project continued to strengthen the social fabric of a multicultural community using outdoor popular education and a peace education approach.
In the area of comprehensive education, approximately 40 children and youth participated regularly in academic reinforcement, literacy activities, access to learning resources, and individual and collective projects aligned with their interests. Most participants successfully completed the school year, and school continuity was ensured for all enrolled children and adolescents. Socio-emotional education activities created safe spaces for dialogue, emotional support, and rights-based reflection, resulting in fewer conflicts, improved mediation skills, and stronger collective decision-making among participants and families.
Socio-environmental education fostered environmental awareness, healthy eating, and cultivation skills through workshops, gardens, milpa planting, excursions, and sports activities. Notably, children and youth independently organized a Socio-Environmental Day, demonstrating increased autonomy and leadership. Community participation was strengthened through active family involvement in meetings, festivals, exchanges with other collectives, and the integration of national and international volunteers. The “Healing Our Hearts” campaign marked the project’s 10th anniversary with public cultural performances, expanding its visibility and community impact.
Capacity-building strategies emphasized equitable participation, shared responsibilities, and continuous reflection among both participants and the educational team. Key achievements include sustained school retention, strengthened autonomy and leadership among children and youth, consolidated socio-environmental actions, and expanded community and cultural engagement. Despite ongoing challenges related to insecurity and limited access to services, the project has responded through stronger community organization and innovative strategies such as crowdfunding to build a community health fund, reinforcing resilience and collective care.
Organization: Jóvenes Articulando Territorios, A.C. (JOVENARTE)
Project: Agroecological Youth for Buen Vivir in Huixtán, Chiapas
During the second semester, the project exceeded its planned coverage, reaching 95 direct beneficiaries and 630 indirect beneficiaries in the community of San Pedro Pedernal, Huixtán. The initiative strengthened youth capacities for climate change adaptation, risk prevention, and agroecological production, working closely with students, teachers, and families from CEMSAD 300.
Key advances included the strengthening of the school agroecological garden through the installation of an irrigation system, shade mesh, and an agroforestry nursery for vegetables, medicinal plants, and native forest species. Due to persistent water scarcity, project resources were strategically reallocated to install a 5,000-liter rainwater harvesting tank, ensuring the sustainability of the garden and nursery. These actions enhanced youth technical skills in agroecology, seed propagation, composting, and territorial restoration.
A participatory community diagnostic was conducted with 68 young people, complemented by consultations with teachers, parents, and local authorities. This process resulted in the collective development of a Local Action Plan for the Prevention and Management of Climate-Related Risks, addressing droughts, wildfires, landslides, and earthquakes. Youth brigades known as “Climate Monitors” were trained to promote risk prevention and community preparedness, strengthening leadership and continuity despite challenges related to seasonal migration.
Reforestation activities were carried out, including the creation of an arboretum, reinforcing environmental restoration and community awareness. While the formal presentation of the Action Plan to municipal authorities is pending due to scheduling constraints, coordination with traditional and local authorities has been initiated.
Key achievements include the full operation of the garden and nursery, the active participation of youth, teachers, and families in risk analysis, and the emergence of young community leaders committed to climate resilience. Lessons learned highlight the importance of community-based facilitators, family involvement, and flexible strategies to address migration and water scarcity, ensuring sustained youth engagement and long-term impact.
Organization: Cooperación y Organización Integral para el Desarrollo Rural, A.C. (CONIDER)
Project: Misma Luna
During the second semester, the Misma Luna project significantly exceeded its planned reach, benefiting 319 direct and 425 indirect participants at Escuela Secundaria Técnica No. 77 in San Juan Cancuc. The project implemented a culturally and linguistically relevant menstrual education and management program for first-year secondary students, strengthening knowledge, self-care, and emotional well-being among adolescent girls while also sensitizing boys and school staff.
Key progress included strong institutional coordination with school authorities, allowing workshops for girls and boys to be held in parallel and aligned with the academic calendar. A participatory diagnostic process established a baseline and enabled the adaptation of methodologies to the Tseltal context. As a result, menstrual education was delivered through inclusive, mixed-gender sessions that addressed menstrual health, hygiene, emotions, nutrition, and water care, reaching 100% of first-year students.
A major achievement was the translation and distribution of a menstrual education manual in the Tseltal variant of Cancuc and Sitalá, reducing language barriers and reinforcing learning. Each adolescent girl also received a menstrual hygiene kit, providing practical tools for dignified menstrual management and reinforcing self-esteem and positive perceptions of femininity. Three trained facilitators ensured personalized accompaniment and the creation of safe spaces for open dialogue.
Beyond the classroom, CONIDER strengthened inter-institutional coordination through active participation in the SIPINNA Cancuc Health Table, contributing to a broader child and adolescent rights agenda at the municipal level. A Health Fair reached over 250 students, further promoting healthy habits through bilingual, participatory activities.
Overall, the project strengthened culturally relevant menstrual education, transformed school practices by including boys in the conversation, and fostered safe, empowering spaces for adolescents. Lessons learned highlight the importance of language adaptation and the role of community-based women facilitators in building trust and participation, laying a strong foundation for future community engagement.
Organization: Agua y Vida: Mujeres, Derechos y Ambiente, A.C.
Project: Towards Strengthening Women in Participatory Water Management in San Cristóbal de Las Casas – Phase II
During the second semester, the project significantly exceeded its planned reach, benefiting 55 direct and 845 indirect participants through in-person and digital activities. The initiative strengthened the organization, leadership, and collective action of women water defenders in San Cristóbal de Las Casas and other municipalities in Chiapas, using an ecofeminist and climate justice approach to defend the right to water.
Key activities included municipal and state-level meetings of women water defenders, practical workshops on water ecotechnologies, field visits such as the “Women Walking with Water” activity in the Huitepec Ecological Reserve, and participatory training on community water management. These spaces promoted learning, exchange, and networking among women from different neighborhoods and regions, expanding the project’s territorial reach and strengthening alliances with other organizations.
The project integrated feminist popular education, participatory action research, and audiovisual communication. Two short documentary videos, photo-descriptive records, and a digital dissemination campaign increased the visibility of women’s experiences and actions in water defense. A diagnostic study on women and water in the Jovel Valley Basin provided a valuable contribution by documenting women’s voices and identifying key challenges and opportunities for future advocacy and action.
Capacity-building strategies emphasized experiential learning, collective reflection, and networked collaboration, enabling women to strengthen both technical knowledge—such as the use of appropriate water technologies—and political awareness from an ecofeminist perspective. Despite persistent challenges related to gender inequality and the burden of unpaid care work, flexible methodologies and women-only spaces facilitated meaningful participation and leadership development.
Overall, the project reinforced women’s personal and collective power in water defense, demonstrated strong social interest in ecofeminist approaches to water management, and laid a solid foundation for continued advocacy, community organization, and sustainable territorial care led by women.
Organization: Promedios de Comunicación Comunitaria, A.C.
Project: El Fogón de las Palabras: Community Narratives Laboratory
During the second semester, El Fogón de las Palabras exceeded its planned direct reach, engaging 126 direct beneficiaries and disseminating content to 630 indirect beneficiaries, while significantly expanding its regional audience through community and public radio networks. The project strengthened community narratives and popular communication by centering dignity, cultural identity, peace, community health, and territorial defense, with a strong emphasis on women’s participation.
Key activities included an intensive audio recording and editing workshop with collectives from Los Altos de Chiapas, strengthening their technical and creative capacities for radio production. In parallel, five listening and reflection sessions were held in universities, neighborhoods, and community spaces in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, fostering dialogue, collective reflection, and network-building between organizations, students, and community members.
By December 2025, 15 radio programs (22–30 minutes each) were produced and published in podcast format. These programs were broadcast monthly through social media, digital platforms, and more than 60 community and public radio stations in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, significantly expanding the visibility of grassroots organizations and their struggles, knowledge, and community-based solutions. All content was also published and curated on the project’s website, ensuring open and ongoing access.
Capacity-building strategies were based on horizontal, participatory, and rights-based methodologies that value the knowledge of participating organizations. Artistic and narrative practices were used to create safe and collective spaces, enabling participants to appropriate technological tools in accessible and adaptable ways for use within their own communities.
Despite challenges related to coordinating schedules in a context of violence and high organizational workloads, flexibility and constant dialogue allowed the project to reach 100% of its planned goals. Overall, the project strengthened alliances with regional radio networks, amplified the voices of community organizations, and consolidated a powerful platform for storytelling, resistance, and community communication at both national and regional levels.
Organization: IDEAS – Información y Diseños Educativos para Acciones Saludables A.C. (CHIELTIK)
Project: Socioemotional Education with Maya Children, Adolescents, and Youth to Promote School Retention
During the second semester, the project achieved 91% of its planned progress, reaching 218 direct beneficiaries and 461 indirect beneficiaries, exceeding its original direct target. The initiative strengthened socioemotional skills, youth leadership, and community participation among Maya adolescents and youth in San Pedro Chenalhó and San Juan Cancuc, positioning socioemotional education as a key protective factor against school dropout.
A core component of the project was the implementation of a socioemotional training cycle addressing emotional management, gender, sexual and reproductive health, decision-making, and healthy habits. These workshops provided culturally relevant and safe learning spaces that supported adolescents’ emotional well-being, mental health, and personal development. Preliminary results indicate positive advances in socioemotional knowledge and skills, which will be further assessed through school survey analysis.
The project also strengthened youth-led community radio initiatives, promoting freedom of expression and communication skills in Tseltal, Tsotsil, and Spanish. Through radio and podcast training, four youth initiatives were consolidated, producing two podcasts focused on preventing substance use, school dropout, and early pregnancies. These processes fostered youth participation, leadership, and the construction of local narratives from a Maya youth perspective.
In addition, municipal forums and sensitization workshops were held with teachers, health personnel, and community actors to promote inclusive, intercultural, and rights-based school environments. These intergenerational spaces engaged 146 participants, with women representing 57%, highlighting strong female participation and leadership. The activities reinforced coordination between youth and local institutions, strengthening protective networks and public advocacy around adolescent well-being.
Despite challenges related to school leadership changes and a teacher strike, the project demonstrated strong adaptability by relocating activities to communities with greater institutional support. Overall, the project strengthened socioemotional capacities, youth organization, and community alliances, contributing to school retention and laying the foundation for the sustainability and continuity of youth-led initiatives in the region.
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