The Puentes Project

The Puentes Project is a five-year United States Agency of International Development (USAID)-funded cooperative agreement that runs from April 10, 2017 to April 9, 2022. The project is implemented by World Vision as prime. The project is implemented in five departments of Guatemala’s Western Highlands: Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango, Totonicapán, Quiche, and San Marcos. The project aims to support young people between 15 and 29 years of age from the Western Highlands, Alta Verapaz and Guatemala City, to take control of their future by providing them with the information, knowledge and skills to access opportunities and improve their income. The project also helps them design and pursue a Life Plan that may be focused on education, employment, or entrepreneurship. Puentes involves the Guatemalan government, the private sector and civil society in improving the skills that youth need to respond to the needs of emerging markets, thus supporting vulnerable youth to find employment, entrepreneurship and improve their quality of life. The Project’s Gender Specialist provided technical assistance to DMMs (Dirección Municipal de la Mujer - Municipal Office for Women’s Affairs) in the municipalities of Todos Santos Cuchumatán, San Sebastián Huehuetenango, Nebaj, and Santa Cruz del Quiché, focusing on the National Policy for the Promotion and Comprehensive Development of Women (PNPDIM) and specifically on Pillar 5: Eradicating Violence against Women. Another activity consisted of coordinating with the Presidential Secretariat for Women’s Affairs (SEPREM) through their delegates in the departments of Quetzaltenango, San Marcos, Huehuetenango, and Quiche, together with Nexos Locales and Community Roots to hold a webinar.