We at Reto Juvenil Internacional

are honored to have been chosen amongst hundreds NGOs for this award.  

“Best Youth Leadership & Community Development Initiative 2024”

By Acquisition International

The voice of modern business, dedicated to delivering vital updates and analysis of the largest corporations in the world. Acquisition International magazine's annual awards have been highlighting the amazing work done by firms and individuals. With a focus on those committed to a ceaseless dedication to innovation, customer care and the continued growth and improvement of their businesses.

Reto Juvenil Internacional Award Reflects our Compromise with :

• Innovation: Innovation: Develop an innovative approach adapted to new technology to solve urgent needs.
• Leadership and Community Empowerment: Demonstrating leadership in inspiring change while addressing specific community needs.
• Impact: Tracking and documenting results that show a positive, tangible and sustainable impact.
• Partnerships: Developing innovative partnerships including private-public initiatives and with other nonprofit organizations.
• Transferability: Sharing and transferring knowledge, expertise and experience through networking and learning.
• Transparency: Promote transparency, accountability and integrity.

Reto Juvenil Internacional (2024 Winner: Non-Profit Organisation Awards) - Acquisition International | The voice of modern business - est. 2010 (acquisition-international.com)

Gracias por ser parte de esa experiencia.

Gracias a todos ustedes: Voluntarios, Líderes Comunitarios, Escuelas y Universidades, Donantes, Organizaciones Públicas y Privadas, Socios,  Colaboradores, Asociados y a nuestros miembros de la Junta Directiva.

En Reto juvenil Internacional nos sentimos honrados de haber sido elegidos entre cientos de ONGs para este premio. Su apoyo y ayuda jugaron un papel fundamental para obtener el premio como:

“Mejor Iniciativa de Liderazgo Juvenil e Iniciativa de Desarrollo Comunitario 2024”

By Acquisition International

La voz de los negocios modernos. Dedicada a brindar actualizaciones y análisis vitales de las corporaciones más grandes del mundo a lectores corporativos. Los premios anuales de la revista Acquisition International destacan el increíble trabajo realizado por empresas e individuos, se enfocan en aquellos comprometidos con una dedicación incesante a la innovación, la atención al cliente y el crecimiento y mejora continua de sus negocios.

Este Reconocimiento a Reto Juvenil Internacional Refleja nuestro Compromiso con:

• Innovación: Desarrollar un enfoque innovador adaptado al uso de la nueva tecnología para trabajar y resolver necesidades urgentes.
• Liderazgo y empoderamiento comunitario: demostrar liderazgo para inspirar cambios y al mismo tiempo abordar necesidades comunitarias específicas.
• Impacto: Seguimiento y documentación de resultados que muestren un impacto positivo, tangible y sostenible.
• Asociaciones: Desarrollar asociaciones innovadoras que incluyan iniciativas público-privadas y con otras organizaciones sin fines de lucro.
• Transferibilidad: compartir y transferir conocimientos, conocimientos y experiencia a través de redes y aprendizaje.
• Transparencia: Promover la transparencia, la rendición de cuentas y la integridad.

Comedor El Pantanal benefits directly 220 primary school students from 5 to 13 years old and supports around 200 families. This wonderful program serve a daily plate of food for the kids (rice and beans mainly) provided thanks to casual donors.

Cerro Azul Indigenous Primary School

Building a brighter future in cerro azul indigenous Primary School - Maintaining a healthy, diverse, and balanced diet is critical for children, as proper nutrition supports physical, social, and cognitive development.

Today thanks to Winds Of Change, Canada - We can support both programs for another year with  food donations, transforming El Comedor and Cerro Azul Indigenous  Primary School in a Healthy food environments that ensures adequate nutritious food for the Kids at social disadvantage, inequitable distribution of resources and opportunites. 

Thank you very Much

Mr. John Shoust

Winds of Change

CAPSTONE PROJECTS

Thanks University Of Toronto  | Winds Of Change

 Project 1. Solar Water Heater and water Pump - Texcoco México CNF 

Project 2. Solar Water Heater - Ajusco México San Vicente

Project 3. Technical and professional support to improve the Typha grass process to make paper.Bagaces, Costa Rica

Thanks to University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and Winds Of Change 2 Students  groups RJI 1 and RJI 2 from University of Toronto, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering  in collaboration with Winds Of Change worked to design 2 different  water heater systems and 1 water pump  with solar powering for a semester,  they worked the idea generation process, design energy requirements and alternative design solutions  to implement the best  option to support  orphan and kids at social risk in Texoco and Ajusco Mexico.

A third group RJI 3 also collaborated with Technical and professional support to improve the Typha grass process to make paper. Improving the quality of life of the families and children and also our planet  at Palo Verde National Park in Costa Rica, home to one of the most densely populated areas in Central America of migratory birds and aquatic species.

Demonstrated the students academic and intellectual growth, were innovative, interdisciplinary, and children and community  improving quality of live -focused

Thanks to University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering  and Winds Of Change

Reto Juvenil Internaciona identified the lack of water supply that Casa Hogar CNF, an orphanage in Texcoco and Casa Hogar San Vicente in Ajusco, Mexico has access to. In order to provide a sufficient amount of water to the orphanage, Reto Juvenil Internacional is looking for a solution via a solar water heater to save on gas heating costs. As a secondary task, Reto Juvenil Internacional is looking for a solution to convert the electrical water pump and other building needs at Hogar CNF to solar power, to reduce electricity costs and be able to buy more water.

Students from University of Toronto, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering  in collaboration with Winds Of Change are working together to desing and set up a solar water heater and potential solar powering, They are working the idea generation process, design energy requirements and alternative design solutions, to implement the best  option to support the orphan kids at social risK.

CAPSTONE PROJECT COSTA RICA  2024 - 2025

Thanks to University of Toronto - Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and Winds Of Change 

The wetlands of Palo Verde National Park in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is home to Typha dominguensis, an invasive plant species. A group of local women from the Bagatzi community nearby, has previously used this plant to produce large sheets of handmade paper.

They helped to mitigate its spread while generating income for their families and community. However, recent economic challenges, including a reduction in tourism and increased operational costs due to Covid, had forced operations to be suspended due to a lack of profitability. Reto Juvenil Internacional, on behalf of the Bagatzi community, has reached out to the University of Toronto Capstone Program for assistance in resuming paper manufacturing operations.

The goal of this capstone project is to improve the papermaking business resulting in an increase in profits and the possibility of reducing energy costs during the process through the installation of a photovoltaic solar array.

Most girls and women in Upala, rural Costa Rica zone, have no prior experience using sanitary pads. While on their period, they usually stay at home until it stops. Women are unable to attend social functions, and girls are not able to go to school. Many girls and women there struggle every month just to manage their periods hygienically, something that many of us take for granted. Lacking access to basic sanitary and hygiene products or facilities, women are forced to use unhygienic cloth and girls often skip school out of shame and fear of bullying.

Lack of basic products or knowledge about how to manage menstruation can lead to both physical and psychological harms and results in girls missing out on crucial education.

The Project MHM MENSTRUAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT Project August 2024 distributes washable, reusable sanitary pads as part of a sustainable response to the challenges faced by females in rural upala communities. 

Thanks to University of Connecticut in collaboration with Isabella Helgeson, BOLD and the Reto Juvenil Internacional team, with logistical support from local Partners such as Costa Rica Ministry of Health – Jasmines EBAIS, Ministry of Education, Upala Women Office  and Upala Local Government; We identified and worked with the most vulnerable female community members to support with our hygiene and sanitation Program. 

Rural females received a dignity kit, that contains a sanitary pad, informative brochures and training. The females were trained in how to use the pads “The sanitary pads are eco-friendly, cost-effective and can be re-used for 5 years” and how to contact and access specific free programs to promote rights and opportunities, In addition, the women received transport and lunch.  

Objectives Achieved 

1. 200 girls and women provided with 1 reusable sanitary pads as a sustainable, hygienic and cost effective menstrual management solution for vulnerable females in Upala, Los Jasmines Village and surrounding communities of rural Costa Rica.
2. Reduce school dropout, improved academic performance amongst student girls, and better quality of life for rural women field workers
3. Promote good hygiene habits that build high self-esteem amongst the females and create awareness about the needs of the females with support from the local health authorities.
4. Achieved personal development amongst rural girls and women through education that promotes self-awareness, positive social behavior, and career counseling, avoiding social ills.
5. Train the 200 beneficiaries on proper use and care of reusable sanitary pads so as to ensure that the objective of hygienic and sustainable menstrual management is attained.
6. 200 beneficiaries Empowered in:
1. Shower. Part of Self-Care
2. Women right to organize in associations and foundations
3. Effective maternity protection
4. Some legal advice for women
5. The Menstruation
6. Domestic violence

RETO JUVENIL INTERNACIONAL

Participant of the Annual Event of the OECD

Youth Organisations’ Sounding Board for Governance (YOUNG)

The event serves for youth organisations across the OECD to meet with each other, receive updates on the latest work of YOUNG, and to discuss the findings of the survey to youth organisations on how you would like to continue engaging with the OECD. The event was also an opportunity to be consulted on ongoing work of the OECD to support adhering countries to implement and disseminate the OECD Recommendation on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People .

YOUNG promotes a government-wide strategy to improve youth outcomes in all relevant policy areas, including employment, entrepreneurship, education and social policies, as well as civic engagement and public governance. To support the implementation and dissemination of the Youth Recommendation, the OECD has been working towards an OECD Youth Policy Toolkit which will provide hands-on guidance and good practices on the design and implementation of policies in line with the Youth Recommendation.

RETO JUVENIL INTERNACIONAL participate with members of Youthwise, the OECD’s Youth Advisory Board, and young people from Berlin, Latin American OECD countries and Asia-Pacific OECD countries, to gain a better understanding of young people’s needs and priorities and discuss the role they can play in the implementation of the Youth Recommendation to enrich the main pillars such as: labour market; social inclusion and wellbeing; trust in government and public institutions.

Earth Day 2024

PLANET vs PLASTIC

Reto Juvenil Internacional is one of the largest recruiter of environmental movements in Central America. The theme for Earth Day 2024 – “Planet vs Plastic”

Reto Juvenil volunteers have been volunteering in Costa Rica and Central America since 1992 supporting  hundreds of environmental conservation programs in partnership with many national and Global organization to preserve the planet. We are also part of Earth Charter a document with sixteen principles that drive a global movement towards a more just, sustainable and peaceful world. To support the movement, the Education Center offers courses, resource materials and network opportunities to turn conscience into action. The main job is that our volunteers use their knowledge on Earth Charter in different villages along the region organizing actions projects on sustainability with locals.

                                                                                                                                   March 20, 2024

Costa Rica has reason to celebrate as the Central American nation entered the top 20 happiest countries in the world, according to the latest UN-sponsored World Happiness Report published on Wednesday. The report, which has been published for over a decade, ranks 143 countries based on factors such as life satisfaction, GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.

Costa Rica’s entry into the top 20 at number 12 is a significant achievement, especially considering that the United States and Germany, two of the world’s largest economies, failed to make the top 20 for the first time since the report’s inception. The report also noted that the happiest countries no longer included any of the world’s largest countries, with only the Netherlands and Australia having populations over 15 million in the top 10.

While Finland remained the world’s happiest country for the seventh consecutive year, with other Nordic countries like Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden also ranking in the top 10, Costa Rica’s success in the report is a testament to the country’s commitment to the well-being of its citizens.

Costa Rica has made significant strides in environmental conservation, renewable energy, and sustainable tourism. These factors, combined with a strong emphasis on education, healthcare, and social support, have contributed to its high levels of happiness and life satisfaction.

As the world continues to grapple with growing inequality and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Costa Rica’s success in the World Happiness Report should serve as an inspiration to everyone and a reminder that prioritizing the well-being of citizens can lead to a happier, more prosperous society.

Reto Juvenil Internacional is a leading non-profit association that implements development initiatives in 18 countries for more than 30 years.

In collaboration with Winds of Change created with the mission to link engineering students with NGO partners and impoverished communities throughout Central America to design and build sustainable solutions to improve the lives of these communities:

We Help * We Create * We Cooperate * We Contribute with future professional success exposing engineering students to such projects enables them to gain perspective on the impact they can have on remote communities and gain real-world engineering experience in the field.

These collaborative efforts seem like a great and easy idea on the surface, but it is challenging to achieve the desired community improvements for successful rural revitalization, collaborations and provide solutions of their use in practice. The component for our successful collaborations is—Work and grows together by understanding the cultural context, the reality, the main needs, developing leadership roles throughout the collaborative process with locals, to find opportunities for innovation, long-term success and independence: 

• An indigenous community without electricity since their inception 75 years ago is lighting today
• An Indigenous school today is accessing computers and charging cell phone to access emergency services
• Primary School Students accessing internet by a satellite in a remote area of Costa Rica
• Last year Indigenous Primary School students attended the first virtual meeting
• More than 200 hundred children living in extreme poverty continue having a daily meal
• Organized groups and students can access after dark a community center in Costa Rica and Nicaragua to study and bring ideas to improve their lives thanks to a Solar Energy Panels that provides light.
• Extreme Poor families can charge the electronics for free in remote area of Costa Rica and Nicaragua
• Organized women groups can develop entrepreneurship projects to sell food and raise funds using a solar stove in Nicaragua

Today and together we are supporting future enginner professional and countries like Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Americas, only surpassed by Haiti. The people of one community in the Managua area are called the "dirty or forgotten people." They are marginalized and excluded from the central community, but they remain hopeful for a better life despite these conditions.