Junafe Foundation

The objective

Across Colombia, adolescent mothers in poverty face multiple barriers – from limited education and stigma to economic exclusion. Without structured support, many remain in cycles of vulnerability that span generations.

The Juanfe Foundation, with 24 years of experience and a track record of reaching over 300,000 people, offers a transformational solution. Their 360° Model enables adolescent mothers to achieve independence through psychosocial support, job-focused education, childcare, and sustained family engagement.

With a strong presence in Cartagena and Medellín, Juanfe’s comprehensive programme builds a support system around each young woman – equipping her to make empowered decisions, build healthy family dynamics, and enter the workforce with confidence.

The partner: Juanfe Foundation

A nationally recognised Colombian NGO, Juanfe Foundation combines social, educational and economic interventions to support adolescent mothers. Their programme was independently evaluated in a randomised control trial, which found that graduates are twice as likely to access employment and experience a 79% increase in income.

Find out more at juanfe.org

The project

With a two-year grant of £58,000, the Croda Foundation is supporting the Model 360 programme across Juanfe’s two sites in Cartagena and Medellín.

The project includes:

• Psychosocial support for 1,200 adolescent mothers, improving emotional resilience, decision-making, and family dynamic
• Certified technical training in high-demand fields such as beauty, gastronomy, hospitality, administration, marketing, and software development
• Job placement and follow-up through Juanfe’s Employment and Opportunities Centre (CEO), linking participants to employers and providing mentoring
• Childcare support for 300 children through direct services and local partnershipsFamily involvement through structured workshops and home visits, supporting over 2,400 family members
• Knowledge Management Area to embed learning, drive improvement and enable scale of the 360° Model

Croda Colombia employees will also provide volunteer career mentoring, including one-to-one mock interviews and inspirational talks from female leaders – giving participants role models and real-world preparation.

Impact

• 1,200 adolescent mothers supported through psychosocial and technical training
• 840 young women trained in market-relevant skills
• 714 participants successfully complete their academic semester and are expected to earn a Columbian minimum wage
• 300 children receive structured childcare
• 960 family members engaged in family-strengthening support
  
• 1 Knowledge Management Area created to enable long-term sustainability