Mexico: A new home for girls and young women

"For me, Ipoderac is a place where I can be safe from many bad things," says Elisabeth. The 14-year-old is happy to have finally found security and security. She has been living in the children's and youth home in Atlixco near the city of Puebla since the middle of last year.

The project offers 72 girls and young women a new home. Where they come from and what they have experienced, most people don't like to talk about it. Many of them have experienced sexual violence, had to leave their families, already lived on the street or are orphans. At IPODERAC you can cope with your difficult past and create a future perspective.

School and training are a prerequisite for this. Ipoderac cooperates with nine schools in the community. Some of the girls who come to home can start directly at a regular school. But there are always children and young people who have to catch up with a lot of material or need a lot of support to cope with the class. The young people help each other and meet regularly to talk about success and difficulties. They work on their often deeply sitting trauma together with trained specialists in group and individual sessions.

Ipoderac, which is supported by the Volkswagen Working Foundation, would like to strengthen the young women in their own feet later. You take part in application training and receive career counseling and support for looking for jobs. And you can do an apprenticeship directly on the site: the project-owned dairy, carpentry or the small soap factory offer numerous work and further training opportunities. It is important that the young people
decide for themselves what they want to do. If you don't find anything suitable here, you can also find an apprenticeship in a company in Atlixco. "I found a home and a room here in which I can think about my future," says Elisabeth. "I have a lot of things that I didn't have before. This is a very nice place that gives me the opportunity to study and, above all, to live. I feel happy here."