Since the Color Movement launched in El Salvador, the Global Shapers and LERO Studio have been such amazing partners. They’re always willing to support every initiative and to serve as a networking resource, identifying and connecting the project with various local actors who can help maximize the impact.

The Apopa and La Chacra communities in San Salvador, El Salvador face a lot of discrimination—they're often only associated with the high levels of gang presence and poverty rates. But the youth centers run by our partners, the Catholic Sisters, act as safe spaces for children, youth, and families.

El Salvador experienced five months of intense lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Since March, the easing of restrictions has been progressive and has had a huge impact on the economy—especially in the informal economy. Adding to the shock of the national lockdown and its ripple effects, limited resources, insecurity, and poor access to opportunities during quarantine have aggravated the existing gap among the most vulnerable communities.

Today, we continue our Thank-a-Thon in El Salvador, where we first launched the Color Movement, our partnership with Catholic Sisters, in 2018. Many of the Sisters we work with run youth centers, places of respite and calm amidst often violent neighborhoods. But many of the centers have been shut down due to COVID-19.