Pictured above: Eleva at YMCA Honduras
YMCA Latin America and the Caribbean is addressing the urgent need for mental health awareness and resilience-building through its Eleva project, bringing young people, community key adults and communities together to learn, lead and create safe spaces for well-being.
The initiative is being implemented in Colombia, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, Honduras and Mexico, where stigma, limited access to services and lack of preventive education continue to create barriers for young people. Eleva promotes a community-based, youth-led approach to mental health, tailored to local cultural and social contexts.
The project is designed to empower young people to take ownership of their mental health journeys while equipping communities with knowledge and tools. It combines education, peer support and awareness campaigns to help participants move from silence to self-care.
Eleva in Peru, Honduras and Mexico is part of the EU Youth Empowerment Fund’s Network Solutions, implemented through the Global Youth Mobilization.
Learning, supporting and sharing
The programme centres on three interconnected components: peer-led workshops on topics like emotional regulation, stress, grief, sexuality, self-esteem and suicide prevention; ongoing support and referrals to professional care when needed; and community and digital campaigns to destigmatize mental health.
Workshops began in Mexico in mid-July, including a pilot with a group of young people with cognitive disabilities. The content and methodology were adapted to ensure accessibility and inclusion. In Honduras, the programme is reaching a rural community, while across all three countries the model emphasizes participation and shared experience.
Volunteers describe their involvement as both personal and professional growth. Dari Santos Martínez, a psychology graduate and peer youth leader in Marcala, Honduras, reflected:
“Each workshop provides space to share experiences, which has been enriching for self-reflection and emotional release. I’ve learned to speak more openly about mental health, and I’ve seen participants do the same. They’ve created a space they call their own, where they can be heard and supported.”
For Merci Liliana Rodríguez, also from Marcala, the project became a turning point:
“When I joined Eleva, I was struggling with anxiety and low self-esteem. This programme gave me purpose and helped me heal while helping others. Now, I feel capable and motivated to keep growing.”
A safe space for change
Youth participants themselves are also noticing shifts. In Mexico, 19-year-old Dariel González described how the sessions helped him face grief and personal challenges:
“Before the programme, I felt a small emptiness due to a breakup, and I didn’t know how to face the grief of losing my grandmother. Thanks to Eleva, I’ve gained maturity in how I see things, and I’ve learned to think before I act.”
Another volunteer, Manuel Humberto López, highlighted the impact on daily life:
“Before Eleva, I felt emotionally lost. Through the workshops, I’ve improved my self-esteem, communication and teamwork. Now I face problems with a more positive and proactive attitude. A phrase I’ll always carry with me is: ‘Your voice has power.’”
These stories illustrate how Eleva is creating safe and trusted environments, where both young people and adults can learn to recognise emotions, find support and build resilience.
Building a culture of wellbeing
With 194 young people and 87 adults directly engaged, and more than 1,500 reached indirectly, Eleva is building a ripple effect across communities in Peru, Honduras and Mexico. Sixteen volunteers are leading the way, ensuring that knowledge and support extend beyond the workshops into families, schools and neighbourhoods.
By combining education, peer support and public awareness, the programme is challenging stigma and shaping a new culture of openness around mental health. What began as a project is becoming a movement of young leaders determined to bring change.
As the implementation continues, YMCA LAC is showing that when communities come together to talk, listen and learn, they can elevate mental health and lives.