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UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector and Nestlé recently launched a call for innovative youth-led projects across Latin America as part of the ‘Because Youth Matter – Impulso Joven’ initiative. Twenty proposals of young leaders, entrepreneurs and youth organizations were selected by a jury to help them create and implement changemaking solutions.

The call reached over 900 applicants from 17 countries. This clearly shows young people's commitment to social engagement and their critical need for support to achieve their goals. 

This is also the gap that ‘Because Youth Matter - Impulso Joven’ aims to fill. As part of the UNESCO Global Youth Grant Scheme, this programme will help participants reach their full potential. Each participant will receive a 10,000 USD grant together with training sessions and mentoring throughout the development of their projects. The programme will start with a capacity-strengthening phase to support the grantees to achieve critical impact with their projects. 

The twenty best proposals were selected by a global jury composed of representatives of UNESCO and Nestlé and three prominent young leaders in Latin America. 

Twenty grantees will implement projects aiming to address challenges related to three topics: 

Reduction of inequalities and promotion of social inclusion and diversity

• Carleane Maraschin Silveira, Brazil, Formación lingüística de portugués para inmigrantes en el sur de Brasil (Portuguese language training for immigrants in the south of Brazil)                   
• Gabriella dos Santos Ferreira, Brazil, Afroricas Lab            
• José Abrahan Puma Naula, Ecuador, ECOPURE - Cápsula de filtro cerámico para purificar el agua (ECOPURE – Ceramic filter capsule for purifying water)    
• José Ignacio Tagle Ossa, Chile, Odontomovil
• Miliannys Gabriela Ramos Castañeda, Peru, FONDOWN  
• Paola Andrea de la Concepción Cantarero Fuentes, Nicaragua, La poli-ludoteca menstrual itinerante (The traveling menstrual poly-library)        
• Rita Fereira, Venezuela, Proyecto Urupagua: la ruta de los conucos (Project Urupagua: The Route of Conucos)          

Climate Action and Sustainability

• Ángeles Marcial Mejia, Mexico, Earth-IoT: Conectando el campo (Earth-IoT: Connecting the countryside)       
• Diego Freddy Retamozo Huamanñaupa, Peru, Wayra Watt - Vientos de Esperanza: Energía Sostenible para un Futuro Mejor (Wayra Watt – Winds of Hope: Sustainable Energy for a Better Future)
• Esteban Silva, Argentina, Protiva bioinks     
• Leticia Carolina Barrera, Guatemala, Capa Rosa - Salud femenina y cuidado del ambiente (Capa Rosa - Women’s health and environmental care)
• Maria Laura Pinedo Maráz, Bolivia, Sumay-Revalorización de la saponina de Quinua (Sumay – Revaluation of quinoa saponin)
• Sebastián Jiménez Pinzón, Colombia, Artesanos del agua (Artisans of water)      
• Steffany Vizcaino Barrera, Colombia, PLANTÚ: Convertimos la "basura" en vida (PLANTU: We turn “garbage” into life)
• Tomás Leonel Machuca, Argentina, Fenikks

Mental health and wellbeing

• Alejandra Morales Torres, Mexico, "Leyendo Mis Emociones" Educación Emocional para Niños Migrantes en la Frontera México-EUA (“Reading My Emotions” – Emotional Education for child migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border)
• Domenica Cobo Flandoli, Ecuador, 4Win a plataforma de Asistencia Psicológica gratuita para Mujeres en Ecuador -JuntasXEllas- (4Win, a platform for free psychological assistance for women in Ecuador – JuntasXEllas)
• Erika Hernández Cuevas, Mexico, La enfermedad de la que nadie habla en el pueblo (The disease that no one talks about in the village)
• Kevin David Soto Camilo, Colombia, "Negrx, Maricon ¡y Qué!" Experiencias afrodisidentes en el oriente de Cali ("Negrx, Maricon ¡y Qué!" Afrodissident experiences in the east of Cali) 
• Sara Gutiérrez, Colombia, Clínicas Móviles Humanos 3D (Human 3D Mobile Clinics)