Editor’s note: This post is also available in Spanish.

We’re delighted to welcome 15 new partners to our global network of changemakers.

The Spark Fund, a partnership between Global Fund for Children and the Avast Foundation, invests in youth-led and youth-focused groups tackling injustice and inequality, driving transformational change, and building a more inclusive post-pandemic world by harnessing the power of digital technologies.

The Spark Fund launched in the fall of 2021, and the first round of funding was focused on youth-led and youth-focused groups in Europe and Eurasia. Earlier this year, youth panelists leading the grantmaking process in the Americas convened to select Spark Fund grantees in their region. Using an innovative technology platform developed with Shared Nation, they selected 15 organizations in Colombia, Mexico, and Peru to receive Spark Fund grants. Regional youth panels have also selected grantees in Southern Africa and South Asia.

Meet the new Americas Spark Fund partners:

AMPLIAMENTE

Peru | Lima

AmpliaMente is a youth-led organization that coordinates community projects with the goal of providing mental health services and resources for children, adolescents, and young people in Peru. The organization works to promote psychological wellbeing as an intrinsic part of the holistic development of children and youth to unlock their potential and help them tap into their own strengths.

CARAVANA CINE

Colombia | Medellín

Caravana Cine is a group of young artivists who offer audiovisual and cinematographic education to promote innovative and captivating social critique. The organization helps youth from the city of Medellín and the department of Antioquia, especially from peripheral and rural areas, to overcome contexts of violence and inequalities while also fostering a sense of community ownership and pride.

CENTRO CULTURAL POPULAR VICTOR JARA

Colombia | Bogotá

The Centro Cultural Popular Victor Jara is an organizational space that is committed to fostering dignified lives through popular education. The organization works in Bogotá’s Usme neighborhood to cultivate a sense of community identity and promote leadership, citizen participation, and the expression of different artistic languages.

[image_caption caption=”Children holding up decorated picture frames from an art workshop carried out by Centro Cultural Popular Victor Jara in Usme, Bogotá. © Centro Cultural Popular Victor Jara” float=””]

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COLECTIVO DE MUJERES AFRODESCENDIENTES WIWAS

Colombia | Medellín

The Colectivo de Mujeres Afrodescendientes Wiwas is a network of Afro-descendant women focused on promoting the history of Afro-descendant people and the social and political empowerment of Afro-Colombian women through political education.

COLECTIVO KOKOPELLI TLALLI

Mexico | Ecatepec de Morelos

Colectivo Kokopelli Tlalli is a group of young environmental activists who combat food insecurity and strengthen sustainable agricultural practices within urban communities. Kokopelli Tlalli provides technical education and hands-on support to families to help them grow their own vegetable gardens as a way to generate an alternative source of food and income.

COLECTIVO MUJERES UTOPÍA

Mexico | Chimalhuacán and Nezahualcóyotl

Colectivo Mujeres Utopía (CMU) is a group of bold feminist activists seeking to break the cycle of violence against girls and women in Mexico. The organization offers education, safe spaces, and opportunities for young women who are either at risk of or survivors of violence, empowering them to lead safe, full lives in both their individual and professional spheres.

COLECTIVO TAJPIANIJ

Mexico | Puebla

From the Nahuatl word meaning caretakers, Colectivo Tajpianij is a youth-led organization that seeks to be the caretaker of the forest. The organization fosters awareness of and strengthens environmental conservation practices while also piloting new strategies to preserve green spaces in its community.

COLECTIVO TÚUMBEN KÁAMBAL

Mexico | Quintana Roo

Meaning “new learning” in Nahuatl, Colectivo Túumben Káambal is a group of young, passionate activists working to protect their Indigenous cultural identity. Túumben Káambal helps youth become agents of change in their community while also preserving their cultural heritage by strengthening intergenerational ties.

[image_caption caption=”Engaging youth and children at a cultural education workshop held in Quintana Roo, Mexico. © Colectivo Túumben Káambal” float=””]

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CULTURAS CAMPESINAS

Colombia | Herveo

Culturas Campesinas is a group of youth and children from the town of Herveo in Colombia’s Tolima department that works to strengthen the rural population through awareness-raising activities and the production of audiovisual content. The organization promotes local culture and identity, transforming narratives and stigmas related to the rural population.

ESCUELA RESILIENTE

Peru | Lima

Escuela Resiliente empowers young social change agents interested in combining art and cutting-edge environmental practices to drive positive environmental conservation impacts.

LA RED POPULAR TRANS

Colombia | Medellín

La Red Popular Trans (RPT) is a transfeminist collective of trans people and dissidents of the sex/gender system that uses cultural and political actions to make visible, recognize, demand, guarantee, and realize the rights of the trans population at the local, national, and international levels.

OLLAS SOSTENIBLES

Peru | Lima

Ollas Sostenibles seeks to guarantee food security for low-income social sectors of Lima through sustainable solutions and a holistic approach. The organization’s vision is to create self-sufficient and resilient communities even in the face of climate emergencies and supply chain disruptions that impact food, water, and energy security.

[image_caption caption=”A training conducted by Ollas Sostenibles for a group of people in Lima, Peru. © Ollas Sostenibles” float=””]

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PSICOPRIDE

Peru | Lima

PsicoPride is a group of young psychology professionals that aims to promote the sexual rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Peru. Through a gender-inclusive and intersectional approach, the organization works to increase access to sexual and mental health resources, education, and services.

RED DE INTÉRPRETES Y PROMOTORES INTERCULTURALES A.C.

Mexico | Oaxaca

Red de Intérpretes y Promotores Interculturales (RIPI) is a collective of more than 80 young human rights defenders who seek to guarantee justice for Indigenous communities throughout Mexico. Speaking more than 64 Indigenous languages and dialects, RIPI members provide legal translation, accompaniment, and representation to Indigenous Mexicans.

VOCES VIOLETA

Peru | Lima

Voces Violeta is a feminist and interdisciplinary youth organization founded by a group of psychology students. Voces Violeta promotes the mental health of children and youth through community actions, advocacy campaigns, and projects based on a gender-inclusive, intersectional, and anti-racist approach with a deep respect for diversity.

Header image: Adults and children participating in an outdoor Colectivo Kokopelli Tlalli workshop in Mexico. © Colectivo Kokopelli Tlalli