Leonardo Rodriguez Angola is a lawyer specializing in human rights. Since 2007, he has been a member of the Network for the Human Rights of Children and Adolescents. He is currently the president of the Asociación Civil Jóvenes y Desarrollo (Youth and Development Civil Association), consultant in Child and Adolescent Protection and member of the National Humanitarian Action Platform. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Champions of Change

Champions of Change provided psychosocial support and menstrual hygiene assistance to 200 adolescent female students from educational centers. Working sessions were conducted in which students learned about menstrual hygiene and human rights as a tool to achieve development, empowering girls and adolescents, promoting community participation strategies that allowed them to become aware of their human rights to health, access to public health services and an adequate standard of living. Participants were trained to carry out case management activities for children and adolescents with protection needs before referring them to specialized services, allowing them to respond in a timely manner to community situations involving violence and abuse against children and adolescents, and gender-based violence, through the establishment of a community protection network. Activities related to access to protection services included the distribution of free menstrual cups. Furthermore, these activities recorded the obstacles and limitations in the lives of adolescent girls that prevent healthy menstrual hygiene.

"Adolescence is a stage in which self-esteem is very much affected, I like these workshops that help me." - Project Participant

Adolescent girls from a high school in Puerto La Cruz in a focus group on obstacles to accessing menstrual hygiene services in educational centers.

Adolescent women in a work session for the prevention of gender violence.

Menstrual Hygiene Kit delivered to adolescent women at the end of 10 working sessions on menstrual hygiene education, prevention of gender-based violence and human trafficking.

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Leonardo was a participant in the IVLP Project Addressing the Needs of Underserved and At-Risk Youth, organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Cultural Vistas.

Leonardo's exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "I have had the pleasure of learning about programs for underserved and at-risk youth through IVLP, which I have found inspiring."

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually

Washington, DC; St. Petersburg, FL; Buffalo, NY; Columbia, NY; Jackson, MS; Albuquerque, NM; Minneapolis. MN; San Antonio, TX; Boston, MA; Colorado Springs, CO; St. Louis, MN

"The IVLP Impact Award has boosted my action in favor of the rights of adolescent girls and young women." -Leonardo Rodriguez Angola

Click here to go back to the IVLP Impact Awards Main page