Alza Tu Voz

The cities of Quevedo and Riobamba were identified in the HCA-II Ecuador Scoping Study (November 2022) as having significant needs, with some of the highest rates of poverty, teenage pregnancy, youth suicide and homicide in the country. Quevedo is the capital of Los Ríos province in the coastal region of Ecuador, with a history of inequality and insecurity. Riobamba is the capital of Chimborazo province in the centre of Ecuador’s Inter-Andean region and has a large, particularly marginalised indigenous population. Despite their challenges, these cities also offer meaningful opportunities to engage adolescents, city authorities and other local stakeholders on health and wellbeing issues.

Quick facts

Country: ecuador

Cities: Quevedo, Riobamba

Project Timeline

July 2023

–

July 2026

Project Consortium

Lab XXI (Lead Partner)

DATALAT,
Escuela Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH),
Municipal Government of Riobamba,
Municipal Government of Quevedo

About the project

The Alza Tu Voz project aims to empower adolescents to transform their cities into safe, healthy and intercultural spaces, working closely with city leaders and other stakeholders. The project responds to adolescent needs and priorities identified through a participatory needs assessment and co-design process. It focuses on three key areas: education and learning, youth participation and advocacy, and mental health. It also harnesses digital tools and approaches to support interventions in these areas.

Key interventions

Education and learning

Strengthening adolescents’ soft skills, digital skills, English proficiency and advocacy skills; enhancing teachers' abilities; creating safe and innovative school environments.

Participation and advocacy

Organising urban intervention festivals based on placemaking, where adolescents are trained in advocacy and communication strategies; positioning adolescents to collaborate with public officials and community leaders in decision-making platforms.

Mental health

Promoting mental health through community-based arts and sports activities that involve adolescents' caregivers and mental health professionals; working with adolescents and key stakeholders on mental health strategies and policies.

Project consortium and partnerships

The project consortium is led by LAB-XXI, a social innovation laboratory, and includes the Datalat Foundation, the urban consultancy Huasipichanga, the Tandem Foundation, the local governments of Quevedo and Riobamba, Chimborazo Polytechnic University and adolescent-led nucleus groups from both cities. Trained in leadership, youth rights, gender equity, digital communication and advocacy, these groups are not just participants but active agents of change, shaping the project’s direction from within their communities. The project also collaborates with national and international organisations, including the Ministry of Education, the United Nations Children's Fund, Benjamín Franklin Quevedo School, PNUD, the Ecuador Youth Leadership Network, the Ministry of Women and Human Rights, the Narrativa Foundation, the Urban Expression Network of Ecuador, the Ministry of Telecommunications and other strategic allies.