Among the activities of the Sunrise+ project in Ecuador, there is also human, ecological, and sports training offered in collaboration with the Ecological Clubs. It is in this context that the story we want to tell you today was born: a story about adolescents and fragility. But also about possibility.
The project, in fact, does not limit itself to promoting environmental protection: it also offers emotional support to the children of the Ecological Clubs who are experiencing moments of vulnerability, disorientation, or weakness.
A journey that starts from pain
A. (not his real name) is a teenager who enthusiastically participates in the activities of his Ecological Club, supported by AMU. Behind his energy, however, lies a deep pain : abandonment by his father, who left him to deal with anxiety, depression, sadness, isolation, and a broken trust in adults. His daily life was marked by irritability, low self-esteem, and loneliness.
But A. was not left alone.
Thanks to the project, he was able to embark on a therapeutic journey that combined various tools: active listening, a solution-oriented approach, breathing exercises and emotion management, and cognitive restructuring techniques. All of this helped him ease the burden of guilt and rejection he had been carrying.
The strength of feeling part of a family
A fundamental role in his path was played by his participation in the Ecological Club, which A. describes in simple words: “A family that taught me to value myself and others.”
During a meeting, he emotionally confided that today he has “ an important mission in this world, which begins with caring for nature and supporting those who feel alone, as happened to me once.”
The beginning of a forgiveness
Another important step in the process was working on forgiveness, understood as a tool for emotional liberation. A. is learning to look at the father who abandoned him with different, more understanding eyes. It’s a journey still underway, but it’s already visible in the changes in his daily life: he’s more collaborative at home, more responsible at school, and more attentive in his relationships with others.
Taking care of the inner world
The road to serenity and peace with oneself is not without obstacles, but A. does not travel it alone: alongside him are his companions and the representatives of his Ecological Club, who accompany him step by step, until the day when he can give a new meaning to his life and look to the future free from anger.
“We reaffirm our commitment to providing emotional support to adolescents in our region,” say those responsible for the Sunrise+ project in Ecuador. And the message from this experience is clear: caring for the environment begins with caring for the inner world of those who inhabit it.