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SPECIAL FEATURE |
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Guatemalan Girls Raise Their “Voces de Cambio”
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Launching in July 2006, Voces de Cambio (Voices of Change) is a program for young women in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala that fosters intellectual and creative growth, self-confidence, and leadership. Using writing and photography, Voces de Cambio encourages young women to challenge destructive social and gender norms that keep them from fully participating in their community.
The group meets two afternoons per week, learning the basics of photography, improving their writing skills, and exploring issues of racism, discrimination, and machismo.* The teens analyze images of women in the media, write modern versions of classic fairytales, create public service announcements, interview women leaders, and much more. At the end of the first session, Voces de Cambio held a local exhibition of the participants’ writing and photography. Teen Voices is excited to share a selection of the writing and photographs from the exhibition.
Part 1 highlights the teens' thoughts about their mothers. Stay tuned for Part 2 next month when the teens will discuss their views on beauty and aging.
*Machismo: also called "macho," acting overly aggressive; manly.
Ella es mi madre, es una mujer que vale oro, es lo más importante para mi después de mi "abue" pero sólo quiero describirla y decir lo mucho que la quiero. Ella es una mujer muy responsable, amorosa, trabajadora y me ama. Es una persona que ha sufrido mucho y ahora merece lo mejor o sea ser feliz. Ella es mi mamá y sea como sea así la quiero. Le doy Gracias a Dios por dármela y no imagino en mi más mínima locura perderla. Quiero solamente hacerla feliz. No soy tan "buena hija" pero ella me entiende, porque estoy empezando a madurar y todo cambia para mi. Ella me ama aunque yo no sea la mejor. Y digo que no soy la mejor porque a veces me molesto muy rápido , o "me porto mal," pero estoy tratando de cambiarlo…sólo por ella.
This is my mother. She is a woman who is worth gold. She is the most important person to me, after my grandmother. I want to describe her and express how much I love her. She is very responsible, loving, hard-working, and she loves me. She is someone who has suffered very much, and now she deserves the best. She deserves to be happy. She is my mother and however she is, I love her. I thank God for her, and I can't imagine even in my worst nightmare losing her. I only want to make her happy. I'm not the "best daughter," but she understands me, and I am beginning to be more mature. She loves me even though I'm not the best. I say I'm not the best because sometimes I get frustrated easily, or I "behave badly," but I'm trying to change those things just for her.
–Cecilia, 15
 Cecilia's Mother
Yo admiro bastante a mi mamá, porque ha sido una mujer trabajadora, una mujer que ayudó a sus hermanos para que siguieran estudiando. La admiro porque a pesar de que mi papá nos abandonó, ella nos ha sacado adelante, nos brinda su ayuda en cualquier momento. Nos ha ayudado en nuestros estudios, nos ha brindado todo, es una mujer que desde muy chiquita ha sufrido bastante, pero a pesar de eso sigue ayudándonos y nos ha dado nuestros estudios. Ha sufrido mucho desde chiquita. A pesar de sus problemas sigue sonriente...No se cómo describirla, ha sido una mujer que lucha para que nosotros seamos mejores cada día.
I admire my mother very much because she is hard-working and she helped her sisters and brothers continue their education. I admire her because even though my father abandoned us, she has helped us move forward, giving us her help and support whenever we need it. She has helped us with our studies and has given us everything she can. Since she was little she has suffered a great deal, but in spite of that she has continued helping us and has provided for our education. She has suffered so much, yet she keeps going with a smile. I don't know how else to describe her. She is a woman who has fought to make things better for us each day.
–Sandra, 15
 Sandra's Mother
Yo admiro a mi mami porque ella es una mujer muy especial que sabe siempre enfrentar los problemas, que siempre tiene y ha tenido. La admiro también porque ella es una muy buena mamá. Ella nos quiere mucho a todos, ella siempre está al constante de nosotros, nunca nos deja solos, nos apoya. Ella siempre dice que aprovechemos lo que ella y mi papi nos dan, porque ella siempre quería hacer cosas que yo hago ahora. Ella dice que siempre salga adelante que no deje que nadie quiera ser superior, ni menos que yo. Ella siempre dice que podemos contar con ella y mi papi para cualquier cosa, y que siempre siempre nos va a estar apoyando siempre y cuando sean cosas buenas y por eso y otras cosas yo siempre la voy a admirar.
I admire my mother because she is a very special woman who always knows how to confront problems that she faces. I admire her because she is a very good mother. She loves all of us, she is always by our side, she never leaves us alone, and she supports us. She always says that we should take advantage of what she and my father are able to give us because she says that when she was younger, she always wanted to do the things that I have the opportunity to do now. She says that we should always work hard to succeed, and that we should never view anyone else as superior or inferior to ourselves. She says that we can count on her and my father for anything, and that as long as we do good things they will always support us. That's why I will always admire her.
–Belén, 15
 Belen's Mother
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