Elisa Castellanos

Elisa Castellanos became a GOJoven Fellow at age 23 and is from Orange Walk Town. This dynamic, resourceful leader has worked with the Women’s Department of the Ministry of Human Development on the program entitled “Supporting Single Mothers in Belize City.” Elisa has also worked for almost seven years in the field of HIV/AIDS. She worked with Population Services International’s Pan American Social Marketing Organization (PASMO) as the HIV/AIDS Prevention Behavior Change Communications Coordinator, focusing her work primarily on HIV prevention with sex workers in Belize and the border regions between Belize, Guatemala and Mexico.  As a GOJoven Fellow, she has worked as a trainer of trainers focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention, social marketing, and effective strategies in behavior change and outreach. Prior to entering the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights, Elisa worked as a freelance writer and journalist for four years writing about issues affecting women in her community and across Belize.  Elisa now spearheads Tikkun Olam Belize, a grassroots NGO focused on sexual reproductive health and human rights for sex workers, in addition to working in environmental and animal rights issues.  Elisa has future plans for her organization to establish an AIDS hospice providing palliative care to her fellow Belizeans.