Nahomy is a 12-year-old girl and is currently in sixth grade. She loves going to school and spending time with her classmates. In her free time, she enjoys singing and dancing, and she dreams of becoming a doctor and having her own dance studio.

“I live with my mom, my dad, and my little brother. My family is kind, fun, and brave. My parents are my teachers: I admire them because they always motivate me and celebrate my achievements.”

Since July 2023, she has been participating in the actions promoted by Save the Children´s  “Calapa Unidos” program in La Unión Norte, such as the Children’s Advisory Committee, where she has learned about various topics such as children’s rights and the importance of guaranteeing them.

“I like to participate in the Children’s Advisory Committee activities because we always share our opinions and feelings. We give our suggestions about the activities that the ‘Calapa Unidos’ program will carry out in our community.”

Nahomy together with the girls and boys that make up the Childhood Advisory Committee, through games and fun activities, give their opinion on the actions they would like to be involved in and share ideas to solve the issues affecting them.

“I feel happy that they care about us. By sharing our opinions, we are expressing ourselves, and it’s important that adults hear our voices about how we feel and what we think. We want all girls and boys to have the same opportunities and for their rights to be guaranteed.”

One of the activities Nahomy enjoyed the most was the election of the official logo of the “Calapa Unidos” program, where all the girls and boys chose the image that would represent them as a program. Nahomy really enjoyed being part of the election, although she was a bit nervous because it was something new; until then, she had never had the opportunity to participate in this kind of activity—she had only seen it on television.

Together with other members of the Children’s Advisory Committee, they prepared and organized how the elections would take place and what role each child would play. Nahomy was the monitor of the voting board.

“I wore a vest and a badge so people could recognize me, just like in presidential or mayoral elections. I felt happy and confident doing my job and guiding people to make sure they voted only once.”

When the voting ended and the winning logo was presented, everyone clapped and felt happy. For Nahomy, it was a different activity because the children were the protagonists and didn’t feel afraid to express and share their opinions.

“I voted for the winning logo. I liked it because the colors are attractive, the faces of the girl and boy are nice, the rounded letters are cute, and it represents the nine principles of child participation. I’ve never seen a logo like that before—it’s the most beautiful I’ve seen.”

“Our opinions matter to Save the Children, and we feel good because our ideas becoming reality.”

Erika Barrera, territorial coordinator of the program, says that this activity was different from others because girls, boys, and adolescents co-led the process and made important decisions in each phase of the elections. She explains that this helps them feel more connected to the program, as they were part of the whole process.

“Activities like these allow children to practice skills such as leadership and teamwork. The goal is to create something different and fun. This initiative was successful because children took their roles seriously and were happy with the outcome.”

“Girls and boys who participate in the Children’s Advisory Committees have developed skills for dialogue and reflection on issues that affect them in their communities. They raise their voices for other children and are recognized by adult leaders and local institutions as participants in the planning and decision-making spaces.”

Thanks to her participation in the activities of “Calapa Unidos” program, Nahomy has learned that the most important thing is the opinion of children, and that is what motivates her to continue participating—because she feels included.

“Adults encourage us to share our ideas and think of solutions to make our communities a better place. It feels nice that adults don’t just tell us what to do but instead ask us what we like. All opinions are respected.”

Nahomy has also noticed that more children are now comfortable sharing their thoughts because they know they will be listened to. She remembers that at the beginning, some of her friends didn’t speak during meetings, but now they’re the ones leading the activities on their own.

“I hope that more girls and boys follow their dreams and that their families care about listening to their opinions. I also invite everyone to ask questions about what they don’t know and join the activities that Save the Children does because they’re fun and we learn a lot. Thank you, Save the Children, for being part of my life!”

How does Save the Children, through the Calapa Unidos program, support children and adolescents participation in La Unión Norte?

Thanks to Save the Children’s intervention, programs like “Calapa Unidos,” which promote children’s participation in decision-making, children, adolescents and their families have the opportunity to co-lead social transformation in their communities.

To achieve this, spaces for participation have been created at three levels:

1) At the community level, children’s clubs have been established where girls and boys reflect and learn with their peers about their rights. As part of their activities, the clubs have elected representatives to participate in child community development associations known as ADESCO KIDS. Participants in these spaces are responsible for raising the voice of children in their communities and influencing community leaders and associations to make child-centered decisions and actions.

2) At the district level, nine groups have been formed with 87 children’s members of ADESCO KIDS. They participate alongside local authorities in decision-making processes within their district.

3) At the third level, an alliance has been formed between the representatives of the nine district groups, called the Child Consultative Committee, whose role is to influence local government plans and public policies in favor of children and adolescents.

This model of child participation has allowed the voices of children and adolescents to be heard throughout the program’s entire cycle—from design to the implementation of its activities, directly impacting 4,921 children in 2024.