El Caracol AC

El Caracol is dedicated to strengthening the visibility and capabilities of people who live and work on the streets of Mexico City. EMpower’s last grant (2008-9) supported El Caracol to undertake a participatory research project aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of how street youth make money (including the entrepreneurial skills they already possess), the obstacles they confront in their efforts to seek and sustain employment, and the support they need to achieve economic independence. The study involved 200 young people, who were interviewed individually and invited to participate in focus groups. El Caracol also engaged other key actors–potential employers, other organizations that do street outreach, relevant government agencies, members of the media–in this process, as a means to build wider support for the economic inclusion of at-risk youth.