In 2019, Real Humanitarian formed an alliance with the REALgirl Foundation, and its Guatemalan branch ‘Asociación SERniña’ (To Be A Girl).

REALgirl is currently creating and implementing a customized version of their program for all of our Ethiopian centers. Real Humanitarian is providing financial and strategic support to SERniña.

The REALgirl/ SERniña Mission

To end gender inequality by supporting the empowerment of youth in Guatemala to reach theirhighest potential and become innovative leaders dedicated to the creation of safe, equitable, and just communities.

The REALgirl/ SERniña Vision

A world where all children can reach their highest potential and safe, equitable, and just communities are the norm.

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The REALgirl/ SERniña Program

SERniña (by REALgirl) was founded in Guatemala in 2014 and since then has reached over 1000 at-risk youth, and has led training sessions and information sessions to hundreds of parents, teachers, community leaders, and national panels and experts.

SERniña (by REALgirl) provides transformative workshops dedicated to guiding and inspiring girls to reach their highest potential, engaging boys and men in the creation of gender equality and working with families and communities to create safer and more equitable spaces for all.

Through SERniña (by REALgirl) workshops and programs, youth develop the knowledge, skills, and courage they need to make informed life-choices and reach their highest potential. SERniña (by REALgirl) runs all of their programs in partnership with local schools and organizations in some of Guatemala’s most marginalized and at-risk communities.

Workshops are taught by local Guatemalan women and men and are conducted in partnership with local schools and community groups and span the 10-month Guatemalan school year.

Over the course of their time in the program, each participant will receive over 180 hours of workshop support.

Workshop topics include, but are not limited to: Identity, Sisterhood, Using Your Voice, Human Rights, Goal-Setting, Media Awareness, Gender Roles, Puberty, Menstrual Health, Nutrition, Drug Resistance, Health Relationships, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Financial Literacy.

Recognizing that the youth do not live in a bubble, SERniña (by REALgirl) also works in partnership with parents, educators, and community leaders to help whole communities heal from the trauma of patriarchal dominance, violence, and racial injustices, to reconnect society to its ancestral roots and create communities that are interdependent, interconnected, and equitable.

In all that SERniña (by REALgirl) does, they take on a feminist, holistic, and community-centered approach to gender equity and empowerment.

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Gender Empowerment and Equity Programs

SERniña and SERniño
Year 1 of our empowerment program for girls providing 40 two-hour weekly empowerment workshops

SERlideresa and SERlider
Year 2 of our empowerment program for girls providing 40 two-hour weekly empowerment workshops allowing for a deeper dive into our 12 Core Modules and provides some more mature age-appropriate content

SERniña, SERniño, SERlideresa, and SERlider are all based on the 12 Core Modules of SERniña by REALgirl.

Transformative Leadership Program

SERelCambio
A leadership program where girls and boys come together to build leadership skills, community activism, entrepreneurship, and gain access to a network of on-going educational and vocational opportunities. Throughout the course of the program participants will explore local community needs, brainstorm creative solutions, and then plan, execute and evaluate a youth-led community action project. It is designed to be a one-year commitment with a voluntary option to further growth for an additional two more years.

SERniña (by REALgirl) Program Modules

Critical Thinking and Using Your Voice
Discovering Your REAL Self (Authentic Self-Discovery and Self-Love)
Understanding and Protecting Your Human Rights
Creating Your Own Path (Personal Agency and Goal Setting)
Identifying & Overcoming the Limiting Messages (Gender Roles & Other Biases)
Understanding Gender & Celebrating Diversity
Your Amazing Body (Puberty & Menstrual Health)
My Body. My Rules. (Consent & Bodily Autonomy)
Comprehensive Sexual Health Education
Creating Healthy Relationships With Yourself & Others (Healthy Communication, Boundary

Setting, and Violence Prevention)