UNICEF-Colombia has implemented the Adolescent Kit since 2019 through the country-wide Adolescentes En Movimiento (“Adolescents on the Move”) initiative. Adolescentes En Movimiento is a network of children and adolescents formed by UNICEF and its partners to strengthen young people’s knowledge of their human rights, commitment to peaceful coexistence, and participation and leadership in their local communities.
Using approaches and activities from the Adolescent Kit, Adolescents En Movimiento youth facilitators support younger adolescents from local communities in forming ‘Adolescent Circles.’ Working together in their circles, the adolescents participate in activities that strengthen their competencies, especially those in relation to conflict resolution and problem management, critical thinking and decision-making, communication and expression, creativity and innovation, and empathy and respect. Adolescent Circles have been convened across six areas of the country, Nariño, Cundinamarca, Antioquia, Cauca, Sucre and Córdoba, and are expanding in new regions. Several circles are led by youth who participated in UNICEF projects as younger children. Adolescentes En Movimiento has engaged nearly 7,000 children, adolescents, and youth in these areas, who in turn reach out and engage more peers.
At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in early 2020, UNICEF-Colombia was a lead innovator in adapting the Adolescent Kit for use in remote programming to reach adolescents under stay-at-home orders. New materials, designs and strategies created by the UNICEF-Colombia team with its partners and adolescents were incorporated into the Adolescent Kit Adapted Package for COVID-19, which was further expanded for global use. Adolescents in Colombia contributed to the development and implementation of these new programme resources, first by identifying competencies they wanted to develop to cope with the pandemic, and then by testing and sharing feedback as they participated in activities that addressed those competencies. Through its development and testing of the Adapted Package UNICEF-Colombia also established a feedback mechanism to enable groups of adolescents to share feedback directly with UNICEF Colombia about their experiences implementing the Adolescent Kit through their initiatives.
Learn more about UNICEF’s work in Colombia. This link takes you to an external site.
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CASE STUDY: Meaningful Adolescent Participation in Community Engagement, Behavioural and Social Change | Multimedia |
When I do this activity I realize that identifying difficult relationships helps me overcome barriers in my life, but I also learn to appreciate more positive ones, to take care of them.
Tatiana Díaz, 13 years (Soacha, Cundinamarca)
Through simple things we can build great things, this is what happens in life, through problems we can get lessons that make us see life in another positive way and use our creativity to solve them.
Angie Salazar Martínez, 12 years (Tierralta, Córdoba)
The activity cross the river is interesting because it highlights teamwork and in turn makes each participant think of a strategy to win as a team. We learn to take care of the instruments we have, but also take care of others. This let us know that when you go alone you can win fast, but going with other lets you go far.
Wilmer Prieto, 20 years (Soacha, Cundinamarca)
We decided to restore the school in Marinilla and appropriate this space, inviting the children of this community to paint it with us, because we believe in the importance of the school as a meeting and learning center.
Paola López, 23 years (Medellín, Antioquia)
I think that for me and for everyone it was one of the most beautiful activities that have been done in our circle, because we all work as a team and know how to join our ideas and let our creativity explode. Personally I love to see that really Our UNICEF is always constantly monitoring activities because I feel that this in a way motivates us regional leaders much more to continue putting the soul and desire to this process. I had the opportunity that day, to meet people with whom I had not been able to socialize more thoroughly, and to realize that all of us here are inspired and moved by the same reason: the love for life and the desire that other people love her too.
Mariana Gómez, 16 years (Medellín, Antioquia)
Through the simple act of changing a physical space, we stopped the fighting in the neighborhood - so we managed to built peace from this act.
Santiago Bravo, 14 years (Soacha, Cundinamarca)
It's a very interesting activity because we learn, through stories, how we communicate through empathy, understand what the other person feels and what is behind their feelings, but above all we understand each other's difference more.
Ángel Gómez, 16 years (Soacha, Condinamarca)
For me it is very important to close our circle using activities with the “Chumbe” because it identifies us as Nasas Indians and is a symbol where our ancestors weave their wisdom, knowledge and living day by day. It also strengthens us a lot in our circle because as we weave it, our knowledge is reflected in harmony and balance towards our future.
Maryi Rivera Cerón, 17 years (Caloto, Cauca)