José Luis Cacao

José Luis Cacao, a 27 year-old Mayan, worked in the Mental Health Unit of the Alta Verapaz Heath Center. He works with youth in seven municipalities, providing training and coordinating activities related to SRH, including pregnancy prevention and gender equity issues. This young leader, fluent in both Spanish and Quqchí, was elected by his community to be a representative on the Community Development Advisory Board (COCODE). Prior to taking on this elected post he was part of the COCODE’s board of directors. José’s hopes to establish an NGO focused on young victims of sexual and domestic violence in his community. He also wants to improve the lives of women and children by lowering adolescent maternal mortality through education. Together with 3 friends, he worked for a marketing company called Cosmo Marketing, which has brought many new products to market. He is currently working on his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and would like to pursue graduate studies in the future.