Project Launch:

In the middle of the Andes mountain range sits San Antonio Bajo, a small community where most people work as farmers, ranchers, or weave traditional hats to sell in local markets. The community suffers from high rates of drinking, teenage pregnancy and family violence, and young men are often at the center of these problems. This project will focus on adolescent men and their health decisions and behaviors, emphasizing their future roles as husbands and fathers. Twelve young men will be trained and certified as peer educators by the local health center. These young men will become the principal teachers of health and sexual education at the area high school for the coming years. Their primary goals will be to reduce the dropout rate, reduce the abuse of tobacco and alcohol in the male population, increase safe sex practices, and increase the number of male students who pledge not to use violence against women. These initial twelve young men will elect and train new members each year and they will receive ongoing support and technical training from the health center.