Empowering Young Voices to Build Safer Communities in Colombia

Across Colombia’s cities, children and young people are stepping forward to create safer, more supportive communities. In places where many grow up facing the threat of violence and inequality, they are finding their voices, building confidence, and shaping a new generation of change-makers.

Children Change Colombia (CCC) has been at the heart of this movement for over three decades. The organisation works to protect the most vulnerable children and young people, helping them to overcome adversity and become active agents of transformation within their own communities.

Through its current initiative, Preventing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Bogotá, Barranquilla, Santa Marta and Cartagena, CCC is working directly with children and young people who are at risk of abuse or exploitation. In partnership with local organisations, schools, and authorities, the project offers safe spaces where participants can learn about their rights, build socio-emotional skills, and develop self-protection strategies. Psychosocial support and clear care pathways ensure that survivors and those at risk can access help when they need it.

The project also engages families and communities in creating stronger networks of protection. Parenting workshops provide guidance on positive relationships and communication, while community sessions raise awareness about preventing violence and discrimination. Together, these efforts aim to strengthen the systems that keep children and adolescents safe, both at home and in public spaces.

A key element of the initiative is the leadership training offered to young people. Through workshops in advocacy, storytelling, and public speaking, they learn to express their experiences and promote change in their neighbourhoods. By working alongside their peers, teachers, and community leaders, these young advocates are helping to shift attitudes and build environments where respect and equality can take root.

From 2024 to 2027, the project will reach more than 5,000 children and young people across four cities, equipping them and their communities with the tools to prevent violence and protect one another. By placing children and youth at the centre, CCC is helping to build a future in which every child in Colombia can grow up free from violence and with the power to shape their own path.