Milca is studying her Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration at Universidad de Oriente.  She was a Conafe instructor, where she taught secondary school classes in the town of Poxil.  She is a young indigenous leader who takes risks to achieve her goals.  She values her studies very much, and left her community in order to continue studying. She is one of the few young people in her community who is still studying.  Milca is an organized and analytical young woman, who bilingual in Spanish and Maya. She means to open an Internet Cafe in her community after she finishes studying. In the long term, she plans to study a Master’s Degree in Finance.  When she was selected as a GOJoven Fellow, she was 21 years old.

Lidia is a young indigenous leader who speaks Maya and Spanish, is deeply attached to her culture, and wishes to work for the betterment of women in her community.  She has participated in trainings about youth leadership provided by the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples. She is an opinion leader within her school and the Kantunilkin hostel. Once she finishes her Bachelor’s degree, Lidia wishes to continue studying and to take part in an exchange program. Her professional goal is to work with women from her community, to empower them in matters of gender equality and chauvinism (machismo).  When she was selected as a GOJoven Fellow, she was 22 years old.

Álvaro is in the process of finishing his Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology at the Centro Universitario de Valladolid at Conafe.  There, he participated as community instructor and was nominated as one of the best instructors in the institution. As a young indigenous leader, he has participated as cultural promoter with the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples.  Álvaro does a lot of volunteer community work focusing on youth and children, supporting them to make a better use of their time. He has worked as an advisor at the Health Center, teaching workshops on contraceptive methods and STIs to women who are in the Opportunities program. He has been invited to talk in schools about topics such as violence in long-term relationships and other topics related to personal development. He is a recognized and respected leader in the activities he performs. In his free time, Álvaro participates in his Church organizing events, has a dance group, and is a sports promoter. His goal, after finishing his Bachelor’s degree, is to get a formal job at a high school. In the long-term, he wishes to establish a psychology practice in the Nuevo Xcan community. When he was selected as a GOJoven Fellow, he was 26 years old.

Catalino is a young indigenous leader who speaks Maya and Spanish. He has a certificate in Training and Accreditation of Interpreters of Indigenous Languages in the fields of justice enforcement and administration.  He has participated in workshops for the strengthening of male and female leadership from a point of view of indigenous youth. Catalino is a natural leader who wishes to strengthen his knowledge through exchanges with other people. He is currently studying Alternative Tourism at the Universidad Intercultural Maya of Quintana Roo. In the future he sees himself developing a study on the feasibility of ecological tourism, and would like to raise funds towards this project. In the long term he sees himself implementing cultural projects with the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples. Catalino was 21 years old when he was selected as a GOJoven Fellow.

José was 24 years old when he became a GOJoven Fellow.  He is finishing his university studies in Psychology at the Universidad Católica of Honduras.  He did his internship at the Metropolitan Health Unit, providing advice to men sent in for domestic violence, but he also sees women who are victims of violence. After he’s done studying, he would like to continue working in the fields of masculinity and SRH, since he has noticed that many young people in his city need to know more about these topics. He would like to know more about sexuality topics, because he believes it will help him boost his leadership. In his free time, José is the leader of a music group that plays rock pop.

Nery works in the Atlantic Coast Regional Delegation of the National Commission for Human Rights (CONADEH) in the promotion and training area, coordinating with different organizations that work in the areas of HIV/AIDS, human rights, and SRH. He is also a volunteer at the citizen observatory of the National AIDS forum. Nery is a dynamic leader, well known in his community for being responsible, resolute, and committed to empowering young people in different topics. He was 24 years old when he was invited to become a GOJoven Fellow.

Enil was 20 years old when he was selected as a GOJoven Fellow in 2012.  Before being hired two years ago as a promoter, he worked over five years as a volunteer for Rural Betterment in the program “Network of Youth in the Struggle to Building the Future”.  He works with volunteer networks in dangerous neighborhoods, using educational talks to teach several SRH topics to young people. Although this is not an easy task, Enil feels it’s a very important one. Enil is a person who enjoys supporting his community; he is open towards young people and knows how to motivate those around him.  He is currently studying Business Administration.  Enil wishes to learn to handle the media, to speak in public, and to write proposals.  His long-term goal is to run projects for young people in high risk situations.

Yarlene was 18 years old when she was selected, and she was one of the youngest Fellows in the GOJoven program in 2012. She has been working over 7 years as a volunteer in a youth program at the Red Cross, providing training workshops for young people from different educational institutions in the city of La Ceiba. Yarlene has formed a wide network of young people who are educated on climate change and SRR topics. As a Fellow, she wishes to strengthen her knowledge on sexually transmitted infections (STI) and improve her communication abilities. Yarlene has completed high school, and in the short term she hopes to enroll in college to study Psychology.

Yillian is the director of the Corozal Theater and Dance Group, and manages a recycling and solid waste management project.  As a university intern in Graphic Design, she acted as a facilitator in sexual and reproductive health and performing arts topics in 36 Garifuna communities along the Atlantic coast of Honduras. Yilian is fluent in Spanish and Garifuna. Once she finishes her studies, she would like to work in STI and HIV/AIDS prevention with young people, combining her experience in theatrical and youth topics. Yillian was 26 years old when she started with GOJoven.