BOOST Network Member Profile
For over 46 years, FEMAP (Salud y Desarrollo Comunitario de Cd. Juárez, A.C.) has been working to improve the quality of life, health, and economic conditions of residents in Ciudad Juarez through our hospital, nursing school, and community centers. We are intentional about not only bringing the community into our spaces, but proactively reaching out and creating programs that residents can benefit from, including young Juarenses.
Our youth programs range from workshops on healthy activities and sexual behavior to arts programs to our premiere “FEMAP en Conexion,” an OST program that offers after-school and summer programming to youth between the ages of 5 and 16 that live in some of Ciudad Juarez’s most marginalized neighborhoods. Given the economic and social uncertainties that these young people experience, we provide creative and engaging programs - including sports, dance education enrichment, and leadership development programs - that keep youth safe and connected to mentors in their community.
As an active BOOST Member since 2016, FEMAP has come to rely on this network and others in the OST community, to strengthen our summer programs and build a strong referral network with other providers. Our participation in the network benefits the youth in our programs because whenever they move or spend their summer vacation elsewhere, we are able to connect them to other BOOST Network members nearby and keep them engaged in OST programming.
“There are many groups in the region that do similar work as ours. The important thing is for us to learn from each other. When we share these experiences, we can create a network so more youth can be connected, if one person changes address, then we know partners that can serve them in other parts of our region. Or we might know someone that moves to El Paso, then we can connect them with our allied partners there” - Maria Eugenia Parra, Directora de Área de Niñas, Niños y Jóvenes