A former participant in a USAID program in northwest Colombia said of the closures: “It's sad because all the work that had been done is practically being lost because young people are left without hope, without purpose, without anyone to look out for them.”
Date: 2/26
Region: Latin America & Caribbean
Country: Colombia
Topic: Peacebuilding & Stabilization
Policy Lens: Security & Resilience
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: This quote was collected as part of The Aid Report's original reporting found in the Devex featured article "USAID moves out, gangs move in: The cost of aid cuts in Colombia." Our journalist traced the unraveling of years of prevention work in Colombia to better understand how gangs and armed groups were quick to exploit the vacuum left behind when this work was cancelled.
This quote is attributed to Luz Mely Moreno, who participated in the ‘I Decide to Be’ empowerment program. She lives in the Reposo neighborhood of Quibdó in northwestern Colombia.
Source: Devex