In almost eight years since being named the first employee
of the
A Ganar program, I’ve experienced some incredible highs and lows. Together with our great participants and
staff, we have built a program that has served more than 10,000 youth and
counting.
We have played “futbol” in the
favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the barrios of Ciudad Juarez, and a dirt parking lot
in Paramaribo.
We have learned to weld,
repair, cook, and serve. We’ve celebrated in Rio’s famed Maracanã Stadium, in
Montevideo’s historic Centenario Stadium
and in St. Kitts and Nevis’ Warner
Park.
We’ve given program demonstrations
in classrooms, at international conferences, and even on the Ellipse just
outside the White House.
And I’ve heard
testimonial
after testimonial from youth and program facilitators about how
A Ganar has changed their lives.
But
we’ve seldom experienced highs and lows like those of April 2013.
 |
| A Ganar participants playing soccer in Honduras |
April started in the most horrific way. We learned on April 1st that one of our participants, an 18-year-old from Tegucigalpa, Honduras,
had been the victim of violence during Holy Week. To many, he was another statistic in the sad
youth genocide that is taking place throughout the hemisphere. According to the Mexican think tank
Seguridad, Justicia y Paz, the murder rate in Tegucigalpa is 101.99 per 100,000
inhabitants. That ranks 4th worst in the world. San Pedro Sula, where we also work, is #1 with a murder rate of 169.30
per 100,000. Compare this to New York City where the murder rate is 5.61 per
100,000.
But this young man is more than a statistic. He was a member
of our family. He had just started the A
Ganar program a few days before and wanted to get a job and support his young
daughter. He represents both the hope
and the danger our youth face daily.
 |
| A Ganar participants in Honduras |
Just two weeks after this terrible news, I was in Honduras
visiting our youth in their home communities. In order to make these visits, we
needed to take some safety precautions. We had to announce our arrival to the
organizations we planned to visit. We made sure our visits took place during
daylight hours.
We placed a placard in
the windshield of our vehicle identifying us as part of the organization we
were visiting.
And as we entered the
community, we rolled down our windows so that anyone who might be observing
could see who we were.
Why was this necessary? Unfortunately way too many low-income communities of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula are now controlled by
gangs. Daily violence is a part of life. Youth must try to avoid gang
recruitment and affiliations. They may
live in a neighborhood controlled by one gang but attend our program in an
adjoining neighborhood controlled by another gang. Sometimes one side of the street belongs to
one gang while the other side belongs to their rival. Youth often walk long
circuitous routes just to avoid crossing gang lines or certain streets or
sections where they fear for their safety. They try to walk in pairs or small groups hoping that there is more
safety in numbers.
It is here where A Ganar works and thrives. Led by local
organizations such as Libre Expresion, CENET, FUNADEH, CADERH, Children
International and Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos (OEI), and their dedicated staff members, A Ganar is reaching youth and
changing their lives. Far too many youth not only deal with violence on the
street but also in their homes.
Far too
few youth have the economic means or the parental support and guidance needed
to continue their studies. They often live in a deficit of hope, too afraid and
far too often disappointed to imagine a future different from those around
them.
 |
| President Lobo and U.S. Ambassador Kubiske at the launch |
A Ganar is reaching these youth and they are changing their
lives.
Their facilitators tell me that
the sport-based program helps them build better and stronger connections with
youth and that youth are learning to trust each other.
Facilitators also tell us that youth are
learning faster because the sport-based lessons and games we use are fun and
relatable to them.
Youth use their own
ideas to solve problems and many, for the first time in their lives, are
congratulated by others for good ideas, for leadership, and for good teamwork.
Youth tell us that before A Ganar they didn’t allow themselves to dream. But
when you ask them now, they have life plans and career dreams like any other youth
should have, anywhere in the world.
 |
| With President Lobo and U.S. Ambassador Kubiske | |
Therefore, it was with the memory of recent loss but with
the hope of all the other A Ganar youth in Honduras that we celebrated the
formal launch of the program on April 10th.
We held a large party for the program in San Pedro Sula.
Because A Ganar is sponsored by USAID, U.S.
Ambassador Lisa Kubiske and USAID Mission Director James Watson both attended,
as well as many other U.S. Embassy and USAID representatives. The IDB Representative
to Honduras attended to show how A Ganar began with IDB/MIF funding.
Private sector leaders, including some from
Honduras’ top businesses, were there as both sponsors and as potential
employers of A Ganar youth.
And our
special guest was Honduran President Porfirio Lobo.
With respect to all the dignitaries, the real stars of the
day were the over 200 youth from the program, from both San Pedro Sula and
Tegucigalpa. Their enthusiasm and great
attitudes made the day! As people entered the convention center, they were
greeted by A Ganar youth and throughout the day everyone had chances to meet
youth and hear their amazing life stories.
The program was led by two youth, Michel and Eddie, both A
Ganar participants from San Pedro Sula.
At the youths’ insistence, three A Ganar participants from
Honduras’ Garifuna community welcomed the audience in their native
language. Guido, a participant from
Tegucigalpa, gave an emotional testimonial.
Guillermo Orellana promised internships and job
opportunities through the JOVIN youth entrepreneurs group. Ian Walker, the IDB Representative to
Honduras, placed the program in the context of the Honduran economy and the
need to focus on youth violence prevention. Ambassador Kubiske praised the youth for their great attitude and
explained how A Ganar was part of larger U.S. investments in Central
America. President Lobo gave an
emotional appeal focusing on the attitude of the youth, the name A Ganar, and
the phrase “Vamos A Ganar” as a positive affirmation for Honduras’ future.
We were presented with t-shirts by A Ganar youth and invited
to wear them. I was nervous at first,
not knowing how a President and an Ambassador would react. But when President Lobo and Ambassador
Kubiske eagerly put on their A Ganar t-shirts, we were all smiles.
We then held a press conference and in typical fashion, the
press wanted to focus on the political issues of the day instead of on A Ganar.
But President Lobo and Ambassador Kubiske kept bringing it back to A Ganar and
the promise of youth in Honduras.
 |
| President Lobo pairs with an A Ganar participant |
If that wasn’t enough, we then went outdoors into the 100
degree heat and participated in an A Ganar simulation led by local facilitators. Two teams of six players
each were asked to form pairs and play while holding hands with a teammate. President Lobo, still wearing his A Ganar t-shirt,
was an eager participant, holding hands with one of our program youth. We finished the game in typical A Ganar
fashion with a quick discussion on how the lessons from the game could be used
in life and in work. After the President and other dignitaries left for other
meetings, the youth treated those who could remain to songs and dances they had
created.
It was an amazing day. What else could bring together a President, an Ambassador, a USAID
Mission? What kind of program could get a nation’s
top dignitaries to play in 100 degree heat? A Ganar! Between now and 2015,
we will train over 1,000 youth in Honduras. As President Lobo said, that is over 1,000 youth ambassadors who will
change the future of their country.
Director, business leaders and so many enthusiastic youth? What other
programs could bring out the enthusiasm and celebrate all the good things and
the promise of youth who live in the world’s most dangerous neighborhoods?
What does all this mean?
Anytime you get a President to attend your event it is a big deal.
That he was so enthusiastic, put on our
shirt, and played football with our youth means so much more.
To me, it demonstrates to the Honduran public
the belief in these youth who, while they come from the “worst” neighborhoods
of Honduras, represent the “best” of Honduras’ future.
There is hope.
 |
| President Lobo playing soccer with A Ganar participants |
This also means opportunities for employment with the Honduran
private sector.
When I arrived some
people told me that youth from certain communities were so marginalized that
they face overwhelming discrimination when they apply for jobs.
Being from certain communities labels you as
bad, as potentially violent. Why would someone invite those problems into their
place of business?
But we saw hope for
a different future.
Several business
leaders told me about how impressed they were with the youth and promised to
open internship and job opportunities for them.
They are giving them a chance.
And every youth from a marginalized community who is successful in the
job market represents new hope and opportunity for his or her family and his or
her community.
This event could not have happened without the
tremendous support of lots of people. From Washington, the entire Partners’ A Ganar team
along with the Communications Office all contributed.
USAID staff in Washington and in Tegucigalpa
contributed in more ways than can be counted.
A Ganar youth and A Ganar facilitators worked day and night to prepare
for the event and to make sure each task was well covered. Other volunteers
came and helped out when needed.
 |
| Michel, Ana, Eddie, Olga and Johny |
And finally, our incredible A Ganar Honduras staff at ANEDH
deserve the highest praise.
Olga Tinoco,
Johny Navarro, and Ana Perdomo contributed in so many ways it can’t be
counted.
They scored a big goal for
youth in Honduras.
This is where I had hoped that this story would end. But on April 15th, I received a message that
another one of our outstanding youth from Tegucigalpa died just four days after
the event. He had been selected by his
peers and facilitators to represent them in San Pedro Sula and made the trip
with about 50 others. He was so full of
life and wanted to learn computer skills, English, get a job and continue his
studies so he could finally support his mom, who lives in extreme poverty.
The lost promise of these two youth is a terrible reminder
of the many challenges our participants face on a daily basis and just how much
they need our support.
I now finish this story from Lima, Peru, where I will
present A Ganar at the International Olympic Committee’s Sport-for-All
meeting. It is a great honor (but also
a tremendous responsibility) to remind everyone that real victories are not
always signified by gold medal ceremonies. Rather, victories are tallied
through the day-to-day work of dedicated individuals and organizations seeking
peace, understanding, and hope in some of the world’s most dangerous
communities. He came to class today – victory. She is learning to speak in public and trust
others – victory. He is learning to
communicate effectively – victory. She
got a job – victory, victory, victory.
I believe in the power of sport to change lives. ¡Vamos A Ganar!
Director, Sport-for-Development
Partners of the Americas
Click here to make a tax
deductible contribution to the A Ganar program. Or for more information on the A Ganar Program visit our website, Facebook or Twitter pages.
This blog is made possible by the generous support of the United States Agency
for
International
Development (USAID).
The contents are the responsibility
of Partners of the Americas and
do not
necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
