The Global Grants Initiative invests in the holistic wellbeing of people living in underserved communities across Mexico, Haiti, India, and East Africa. By partnering with local NGOs, the initiative creates safe, healthy, and resilient communities rooted in mindful leadership, dignity, and care.
In Mexico, this commitment takes shape through partnerships that strengthen youth leadership and community wellbeing. One partner, XILOTL, uses an asset-based approach grounded in local leadership, cultural memory, and a deep connection to the land.
Through community-led efforts, youth define purpose, women grow small businesses, and families practice rainwater harvesting and conserve native seeds. These ancestral practices guide daily life and strengthen identity, resilience, and the communities’ ability to navigate change.
In the communities of Guaquitepec and San Juan la Cureña, youth programs in theater, drawing, and soccer do more than fill after-school hours. They cultivate confidence, teamwork, and responsibility, helping young people discover their voices and their place in community life. For many participants, these programs mark the start of a journey from uncertainty toward purpose.
One of those journeys belongs to David López Vázquez.
David is a 23-year-old Tzeltal man from Guaquitepec. After finishing school, he faced limited options: migration or temporary work. He chose to stay.
“Staying on our land is also a way of defending who we are.”
Through the Sembrando Vida program and the Vinaty coffee cooperative, David discovered both purpose and responsibility. He learned every stage of coffee production from caring for the soil to roasting the beans and came to understand that coffee is more than a crop. It forms a living connection between people and land.
Over time, David grew from learner to leader and eventually became general manager of Vinaty. By 2024, the cooperative supported 60 local producers and nearly doubled its harvest. Yet for David, success comes from more than numbers.
“Coffee is not just work it is our connection to the land and to each other.”
“Every cup carries the story of our people and the care we give to the land.”
David extends his leadership beyond coffee production. He participates in initiatives guided by the SASA methodology and XILOTL, promoting healthy relationships and collective care.
“Leadership means working together, not working alone.”
“When we care for the land, we are also caring for our community.”
David’s story and the youth programs themselves show what becomes possible when young people receive space, trust, and guidance. They move from uncertainty to leadership, from participation to lasting impact.
“I chose to stay, and in staying, I found my path.”
Across Chiapas, young people demonstrate that caring for the land and for one another shapes a future that is already taking root.
