Faika lives with five siblings and her mother in a small cottage. Her father was arrested because he was violent towards his family. The family lacks the money for school uniforms and books, the children cannot go to school. Since 2011 Faika and her sister are visiting various programs of YWCA Haiti. There they learned writing, reading and mathematics, among other things. Faika's motivation and determination are contagious and thanks to her motivation, her mother found a way to give two children a school year without outside support.

Thanks to the Horyzon program of the YWCA Haiti Faika can hope for a good education and plan a promising future for her. Faika says: "I don't know what I would do without my family in the YWCA, who gives me so much attention, education and love".

Oscar spent his childhood on the streets of Santander, Colombia. He lived off arms smuggling for criminal groups. When he got to know the leisure programme of the YMCA, he distanced himself from life on the street and became a regular participant in the activities. Oscar liked the ideas of the youth leaders of the YMCA. They talked about peace, non-violent coexistence, rights and duties and how Oscar could work for it.

As he grew up, he did the youth leader training, led his own group and carried out with the children those activities that had changed his life at that time. Oscar went back to school, graduated and studied social work. Today he is employed at the YMCA as a social worker and supports the young people in their daily fight against violence and drug trafficking.

David is 30 years old, comes from Jenin, Palestine and lost his right forearm in a work accident in a plastic factory. Since the factory did not pay for the medical treatment costs, David and his wife had to use up their savings for the hospital costs. Because of his incapacity to work, he could no longer take care of his wife and little son. But thanks to therapy in the reintegration program and a small loan, he opened a clothes shop.

He led the company until 2016, when declining revenues forced him to change his business model. So David converted the clothes shop into a café with pool tables. Since the reopening, revenues have increased and David can save USD 150 a month. He wants to put this money aside for the education of his three children.

18-year-old Waida James Enosa grew up as one of 8 children in Yambio. Her father, a qualified nurse, sensitised her to her own health at a very early age, but when her parents divorced, the then 12-year-old was left alone with her questions and problems about puberty and the physical changes. After she became pregnant at the age of 16, she was abandoned by her father.

Financial worries and stigmatization are just some of the challenges that the single mother faces every day. Through the community comversation of the project "My Body, My Right, My Future", she became aware of how important it is to break the taboo of "sexuality" and to create an understanding of the health rights that young people have. In addition to all this, she believes that the care and support of parents is also needed. This is the only way to enable young people to deal with their bodies on their own responsibility in an environment that is sensitive to their concerns. The community conversation also showed her personally how important her own future is. Despite all her worries, she has now regained some courage and wants to enrol in secondary school.