As one of the only places where young people can relax and be free of worry from the gang violence that surrounds them, the Youth Center run by the Sisters in Apopa, El Savlador is vital to inspiring hope and joy in their community.
The Sisters try to offer a variety of activities at the center – they’re always looking for ways to keep kids interested and having fun. And one of those ways is through breakdancing and Tae Kwon Do!
Javier, now a coordinator at the center, stuck around at first because he discovered a love of breakdancing.
“I started here when I was 15 years old,” he said. “It’s been three years. First, I came for computer classes but then I saw some kids dancing…and that’s what motivated me.”
The problem is, the floors of the youth center are all tile and cement. Which, as you can imagine, make for a pretty tough surface for things like breakdancing and Tae Kwon Do.
So the kids and the Sisters had a request – and we had an easy fix.
“With some soft mats, the kids could practice much more safely,” said Sister Conchi.
We purchased enough mats to cover about half of the center – but they’re easy to put together and put away. That way, they can bring them in when they need them and take them out easily when they don’t.
“For us, this is really important,” said Conchi. “They are so happy! This is good news for everyone.”
