Think Creative - Issue 5

Dispatches

updates from around our world

Program in focus A closer look at Creative’s work in action

El Salvador

Crime and Violence Prevention Project

“The park has become one of the biggest attractions for youth and kids in the community. We feel very grateful, and so are the families that can now come and enjoy the park.”

- Nelson Escobar, Las Moras de Colón Outreach Center volunteer

In 41 communities across El Salvador, public space restoration projects have brought new life into previously underused areas and given thousands of families a new place to relax, play and spend time together. These new soccer fields, playgrounds, parks and community centers were established by the USAID Crime and Violence Prevention Project in partnership with seven municipalities: Apopa, Ahuachapán, Colón, Mejicanos, Ciudad Delgado, Olocuilta and Zacatecoluca. Local residents shaped the projects with their ideas and volunteered their time to help with construction. An estimated 130,000 people will benefit from these new community resources. For many in El Salvador, crime, violence and the presence of gangs leaves them feeling insecure in their own communities and hesitant to spend time outside. For the Crime and Violence Prevention Project, the public space restoration initiative was an opportunity to build residents’ sense of security, belonging and community identity. The public facilities were built or renovated in areas close to the program’s Outreach Centers, creating hubs of learning, personal development and safe spaces in vulnerable communities. n

Photo by Gerson Lara Burgos

12 | Think Creative | Spring 2019

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