Youth Impact Leaders: Building Futures at Home

Published on March 10, 2026 by Glasswing

In Guatemala and Honduras, thousands of young people face difficult decisions about their future. In communities where educational and employment opportunities are limited, migration can seem like the only path toward a safe and stable future.

There’s something we can do. 

The Youth Impact Leaders (JLI) program – a service-learning initiative funded exclusively with the support of The Howard G. Buffett Foundation – proves that when young people are trusted, supported, and given real opportunity, they choose to stay, to lead, and to strengthen the communities where they live.  

To date, more than 9,870 young people across seven cohorts have participated in and benefited from JLI.

The Program

JLI provides youth ages 15 to 22 with their first work experience, leadership development, socio-emotional support, and a six-month stipend that eases financial pressure and allows participants to finish high school (those who had left school are required to re-enroll). Work projects are diverse: some start small businesses in response to community needs, such as raising chickens for eggs, or opening nail salons and restaurants that now employ neighbors. 

Nancy, a participant from Honduras, saved her stipend, built a small store in her village, legalized it, and gradually expanded it to the point of opening another business, generating enough income to make a living.

“I see myself having Pulpería La Distinta in many villages, reaching different places so people know I am there. We are going to grow,” said Nancy, participant, Honduras.

To date, more than 9,870 young people across seven cohorts have been positively impacted.

Young People as Leaders

Service-learning is at the heart of the JLI model. Through this methodology, young people acquire personal, professional, and leadership skills while actively contributing to their communities. 

In a Mayan community in Quiché, four young women rebuilt their village’s long-abandoned communal gathering space, earning public recognition as local leaders. Others have restored local libraries, built community laundry stations (where previously, women walked miles carrying heavy loads to the river), and created after-school programs for younger children.

As of the end of 2025:

• 374 community projects were implemented in Guatemala and Honduras
• 92% of youth demonstrated leadership skills
• 96% of community stakeholders now perceive youth as agents of change and valuable contributors to local development
• 61% of participants defined their professional interests thanks to service-learning

In communities with few resources and low expectations for youth, these accomplishments are profound, for the participants and for those around them.

Wendy, a 21-year-old from Guatemala, had paused her studies due to financial hardship. Through JLI, she completed community service at the Ministry of Agriculture, followed by an internship at a local company. Thanks to her excellent performance, she secured a formal administrative position, where she continues to work while preparing to resume high school and eventually pursue a nursing degree. “The Wendy from two years ago did not have clear goals. Today, I’m working. I want to finish my studies, and I already have a life plan,” she said.

This is how systems shift: these young people are now recognized as leaders, instead of liabilities, shaping their communities and their own futures.

Access to Employment and Entrepreneurship

By working with local partners, the JLI program is able to connect participants with real opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. Program participants report earning income equal or higher than the minimum wage in their counties — a significant achievement in contexts where unemployment is a growing social challenge. 

Coupled with the receipt of stipends, youth participate in financial education workshops to learn to manage finances, run their own businesses, and make financial plans for the future. They open bank accounts, strengthening their financial literacy and inclusion. The stipends functioned as a strategic investment: 53% used them to support personal and family expenses; 27% invested in education; and 23% addressed health needs.

Beyond the numbers, there’s a psychological shift in the youth leaders: they gain confidence, purpose, and a vision for a future in their own country. Hope is an invaluable metric, paving a way forward at home where there was none.

Maynor, a 20-year-old participant from Guatemala, has changed his life through JLI. He entered the program with no income. As a JLI participant, he created a small business that helped support his family while also enabling him to complete basic education and begin university studies.

Staying with Purpose

JLI’s results are compelling. Among youth aged 18 to 22 — the group at highest risk of migration — 99% continue living in their country even two or three years after completing the program. Amongst all participants, 98% chose to remain in their countries, having identified development opportunities close to their communities.

These data reflect meaningful geographic permanence. Moreover, they show a profound shift in how young people see their future: eighty-one percent of participants feel more hopeful about their socioeconomic future, and 89% identify economical and/or educational opportunities within their own community or country. Migration is no longer the only option when pathways toward stability and growth exist.

Staying Changes Everything

Together, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Glasswing invested in the youth of Guatemala and Honduras. In doing so, they helped more than 800 partner organizations open spaces for service, training, and employment. HGBF catalyzed an ecosystem of support and opportunity that would not have been possible without their partnership. 

Irregular migration is not inevitable. By understanding that the decision to migrate is shaped by the presence or absence of opportunities, we can change the conversation.

Youth Impact Leaders is a program that can directly influence young people’s decision to stay in their country. JLI has demonstrated that when real opportunities exist — training, mentorship, community service, employment, and/or entrepreneurship — youth choose to stay and strengthen their communities.

For almost ten thousand young people in Guatemala and Honduras, that choice has now been made. JLI has changed the course of their lives. Staying and building at home is no longer a risk, but a reality rooted in hope and possibility.