Think Creative - Issue 6

Community members celebrate the new Cuscatlánitos (parklets).

me a lot and I’m very grateful, because some- times you can’t do it by yourself.” Family-first solutions Spending time hanging out on the street can be a risk in communities with high levels of violence and gang activity. By working with the family to improve parental supervision and authority, Proponte Más family counselors empower parents to change these and other be- haviors that have been identified as risk factors for engaging with crime and violence. “Sometimes [Nandito] would go out into the street … And the other kids would follow him because he’s the oldest,” Esther says. “But I’ve learned a lot from [the counselors]. Now he doesn’t go out. He respects me.” Nadia and Dinora note that Esther and Edilber- to’s case is unique—theirs is one of just a few two-parent households working with Proponte Más. In the communities in which the program works, migration, crime and violence mean many children are being raised in blended households with a grandmother, aunt or other family member taking on the parental role. But for Proponte Más, the motto is “la familia que hay”—“the family that exists.” Regardless of the family composition, counselors work to strengthen relationships and communication to make sure vulnerable youth have the sup- port systems they need. Another Proponte Más family counselor, Nheslhy, says dedicating a portion of their time to the leaders in a household strengthens the entire family system and allows the adults in the house to keep implementing the lessons they’ve learned through counseling. “We want the authority figures in the house- hold to come to agreement and find the solutions within the family,” she says. “They have the solutions. We are just reminding them or helping them find that treasure that exists within the family and which they can sustain with their own norms, rules and authority.” Through Proponte Más, the parents, grand- parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, godparents and cousins that are raising youth are playing a vital role in building resilience. “What they told me about the family I took to heart. I had never done these things before,” says Esther. “But thanks to the counseling, everything has improved, and we will continue to apply it … They’ve taught me a lot, and I have more to learn.” n

El Salvador / / Crime and Violence Prevention Project Portable parks promote community in El Salvador

What is the size of two parking spots, can seat a group of friends and has the power to prevent crime and violence? “Parklets”—known locally as Cuscatlánitos after the newly revitalized Cuscatlán Park in San Salvador—are vibrant public spaces that provide communities a meeting point. Though they are simple, these small parks are poised to make a powerful impact on strengthening vulnerable communities in El Salvador. In their most basic form, they are slightly raised platforms with three low walls, but each one can be customized to meet the needs of the community. Some become classrooms, some are places for en- trepreneurs to sell their goods, and others become places to make art. These new public spaces are supported by the USAID-funded Crime and Violence Prevention Project, which improves the ability of communities, municipalities and national institutions to prevent violent crime. El Salvador has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Gang violence affects many vulnerable communities. The new parklets will live in the Tutunichapa, Atonal, La Asunción and Santa Fe/La Paz communities, which surround Cuscatlán Park in the historic center of San Salvador. The parklets are part of a larger effort to make residents feel safe in and around their communities. TOTEM, a New York-based urban development and design firm, designed the parklets as a system of interconnected spaces between Cuscatlán Park and surrounding communities by creating hyper-local and modular public spaces to foster community cohesion through entrepreneurship

and participatory “place-making.” TOTEM Principal J. Manuel Mansylla says that while some of these communities are stigmatized and alienated, they are entrepreneurial and can thrive with the right support and platform, such as these parklets. “During the dry season, when the demand to spend time outdoors increases, parklets may temporarily replace a few parking spots with neighborhood gathering places perfect for eating, reading, working, meeting a friend or taking a rest,” he says. “In San Salvador, we added a new twist by using them as platforms to promote community members’ creative talents and ideas.” TOTEM inaugurated the new public spaces with a pop-up market, called Festitlán, in the parking lot of the Cuscatlán Market. The design firm coordinated with local organizations and government to develop this urban festival, which promoted the idea of building a city of “beautiful things” and showcased ways the city could be transformed through safe, dynamic public spaces. Activities included workshops on urban gardening, dance and music shows by local artists, a participa- tory mural, a community culinary market and more. For community members, these parks provide a renewed energy and a much-needed safe space to hang out. “Thank you very much for taking us into account to be part of the Cuscatlánitos,” said 19-year-old Nubia Velasco, from La Asunción, while enjoying the new park. “We think it is a very cool way to spend time outside our homes, doing activities like these, cele- brating and having fun.” n

Photo by TOTEM

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