Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
“Once a YouthBuilder, always a YouthBuilder.”
CEDAPS, a 25-year-old public health organization with operations in over 150 favelas (informal communities), has been the implementer of YouthBuild in Brazil since 2010. Jovens Construtores (YouthBuild) Brasil focuses on preparing young people for work and leadership roles in their own communities. Operating in both urban and rural areas, Jovens Construtores enables youth to develop work readiness skills while increasing their confidence and self-esteem.
The program has been adapted by CEDAPs to respond to market-driven demand for technical skills training, to provide a pathway back to formal education for high school dropouts, and to respond to community needs in the aftermath of natural disasters. The program was honored to be one of five organizations in Latin America – and the only one in Brazil – chosen by the InterAmerican Development Bank as a model program responding to the needs of youth living in violent communities.
Since its establishment, Jovens Construtores Brasil has encouraged young people to form strong, meaningful bonds with their communities, especially through service projects that enhance the quality of life in local neighborhoods.
I think that programs like Jovens Construtores Brasil are a great opportunity for all young people,” said João Vitor, a Jovens Construtores Brasil student. “It is like a light in their lives that opens their vision to the world. After participating in Jovens Construtores Brasil, I started to have more confidence in myself, to think higher about my life and everything I want to accomplish. I discovered things in me that I didn't even know existed.
Jovens Construtores Brasil creates economic and social opportunities that respond to the livelihood aspirations of opportunity youth and their families. The program is currently operating in local communities in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais.
View the Jovens Construtores Brasil fact sheet.
705 youth served
93% retention rate
63% placement rate
114 community asset building projects completed 112 renovation projects in family homes completed
