By: Entrena and USAID/DR
“You know you’re on the road to success if you want to just do your job, even if you don’t get paid for it,” this is how we can describe Angelina, who as president of the USAID-Alerta Joven project network in the National District and with only 18 years of age has shown us her commitment to women and youth in the Dominican Republic, as well as her commitment to reduce crime and violence in her community. For Angelina, Dominican women represent a model of hard work and resistance, who in her search for equality faces many challenges every day to prove their leadership skills.
She understands that one of the most important factors in reducing crime and violence against women is education. “My message to the Dominican woman is to get educated and to pursue their dreams, to not let anything or anyone hold her back or make her believe she can’t get what she wants.”
About USAID’s At-Risk Youth Project
USAID’s At-Risk Youth Project has been in place since 2012. Its goal is to help create opportunities for youth between the ages of 11 and 24 in low-income communities affected by crime and violence. It helps create opportunities for youth in these communities to pave the way for a better future and break the cycle of crime and violence that affects all sectors of the Dominican Republic.
The project encompasses several approaches, including:
- School reinsertion and retention
- Vocational technical training
- Job placement
- Teen pregnancy prevention
- Health
- Referral for identification documents
- Positive masculinity
With a US$25 million investment, the project has proven the solidarity of the American people by impacting the lives of more than 145,000 young lives in more than 500 neighborhoods in the Dominican Republic.
To learn more, go to https://www.alertajoven.com
