Uspantán Youth: Driving Change through Municipal Youth Committee

SERES began its work in 2015 in San Miguel Uspantan, a community located in Quiché, Guatemala. It all started with a persistent young person who convinced us to initiate work with all available resources there. Over the years, we have witnessed remarkable transformations, and this story is one of them.

The youth of the SERES Uspantán movement have actively sought key decision-making spaces since 2016. In 2018, they decided to cultivate relationships with the municipality, being invited to participate and engage in specific youth activities. This effort intensified when the ConeXpacio (SERES youth hub) was established, coordinating efforts to drive various activities in the municipality.

In 2022, new ambassadors got involved with the support of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD). They facilitated a training related to childhood and adolescence in the municipality, leading to the creation of several proposals, including the Municipal Youth Policy and the establishment of a Municipal Youth Committee. In this process, four SERES youth, Rafael Sic, Juan Fernando Aguaré, Nikté, and Kevin Us, were elected to play an active role.

By 2023, they successfully developed an annual plan to promote activities in the municipality as part of the Municipal Youth Committee, involving even more ambassadors such as Jairo Soto and other youth from the network. As part of their strategy, they formed an alliance as SERES Uspantán youth to integrate three SERES programs into the Municipal Youth Committee's Annual Operational Plan.

The Municipal Youth Committee is dedicated to strengthening the active participation of young people and adolescents in Uspantán. It works to involve youth in key decisions alongside community leaders, COCODES (Community Development Councils), assistant mayors, and the municipal council. The committee strives to ensure that the youth voice is heard, promoting activities, projects, and facilitating employment opportunities and entrepreneurship for the youth sector.

"This committee primarily benefits the audit aspect to assess how effective and positive the work of the municipal youth office in Uspantán has been. Therefore, we have the role of verifying the proper execution of resources," says Rafael Six Menchú, SERES Ambassador.

Some of their achievements include obtaining official accreditation in the Municipal Development Council (COMUDE), allowing them to vote on crucial decisions and proposals that directly impact the youth. This recognition demonstrates the power of their voice in community decision-making. Additionally, the committee has the authority to propose projects and actions, actively contributing to the comprehensive and sustainable development of the municipality.

"We believe that this committee reinforces the work done by other organizations such as SERES and NIMD. These are institutions that empower young people in terms of civic participation and youth empowerment," emphasizes Rafael Six Menchú, SERES Ambassador.

"Currently, we are seeing the participation of more organizations and youth in the municipality. I am completing my professional community practice at a community that is 4 hours away from the urban center. There are very active youth in these remote areas, but the involvement of the committee is needed to promote more activities for the youth," adds Juan Fernando Aguare, Vocal I of the Municipal Youth Committee and SERES Ambassador.

We are working to build a supportive environment for youth leadership in the municipality. If you’d like to help, please consider becoming a monthly donor by following this link.