CRS Rice Bowl

YouthBuild program is changing their perspective and empowering girls to get trained in life skills, vocational training, entrepreneurship, savings groups and community service in the kind of positive environment young people need to flourish. Some like Cesia and Loyda are doing jobs that where considered man jobs and breaking stereotypes.

CRS is adapting its YouthBuild program to rural areas in and around Somoto. YouthBuild offers youth vocational training in beekeeping and honey production, livestock services, and tourism—activities that are closely tied to market demand in this rural region. Youth ages 16-24, attend training three days per week during eight months. At the end of which, they are encouraged to develop business plans to market and sell the products they learn to make, such as dairy products or supplements for livestock, and the services they learn to provide.  Learn more about Cesia and her family’s experience by viewing the video.

Portrait of Loyda Hernandez, 18, Cesia Hernandez, 21, Haydee Gomez, 53, and Esther Hernandez, 7, at the family kitchen in Aguas Calientes Community, Somoto, Nicaragua. Photo by Oscar Leiva/Silverlight for Catholic Relief Services