Empowering Adolescent Mothers

Empowering Adolescent Mothers

Results Summary · First Half of 2026

Some stories begin too soon. Girls who become mothers before they have stopped being girls, a baby in their arms and a future that suddenly seems to fade away. At the Juan Felipe Gómez Escobar Foundation (Juanfe), we spend every day showing them that their story is not ending — it is only just beginning. And thanks to you, this half-year we were able to write new beginnings for thousands of them.

During the first half of 2026, Juanfe consolidated in Cartagena a comprehensive care model that transformed the lives of 4,760 people — 952 adolescent mothers and 3,808 of their children and family members. Through our 360° Model, we walk beside each young woman across four connected fronts: mental health, childcare, technical training, and employability.

Healing comes first. We delivered 1,456 psychosocial services, and the change in our participants speaks for itself: depressive symptoms fell from 38% to 7%, low self-esteem from 54% to 5%, and suicidal ideation or attempts from 41% to just 1%. Behind every percentage is a young woman who found her confidence — and her hope — again.

While mothers heal and learn, their children are cared for. At our Comprehensive Child Development Center (CIDI), we cared for 102 babies between 6 and 30 months, around 50 children every single day, so that motherhood never becomes the reason a young woman gives up on her education.

The path then leads toward autonomy. This period, 135 adolescent mothers enrolled in technical training, 221 advanced in their programs, and 99 earned certifications in gastronomy, comprehensive beauty, and hospitality, in partnership with Cadesarrollo Comfenalco. From there, 170 received job-placement support and 62 secured their first formal job in 2026, sustained by a network of 531 partner companies. 58% remain employed beyond three months, building the economic independence that changes a family for good.

These results are far more than numbers. An independent evaluation by Universidad de los Andes, with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), confirmed a Social Return on Investment (SROI) of 11.5% — proof that every peso invested generates lasting social and economic value for young mothers and their families.

None of this would have been possible without you. Your generosity turns a contribution into a second chance, and a second chance into an entire future. Thank you for walking alongside us and for making this impact possible. With your continued support, we will keep breaking cycles of poverty — transforming the world, one woman at a time.

• Informe_GLOBAL_GIVING_comprimido.pdf (PDF)