Last year, in Argentina, AMU implemented the pilot project of the Sendero Joven training program, aimed at young people recovering from drug addiction . The project involved vulnerable children from the cities of Buenos Aires and Tucuman, and was carried out in collaboration with the “Fazendas de la Esperanza” shelters.
Some of the participants generously shared their impressions.
The work on feelings was valuable and constructive: “Talking about emotions has given me the ability to recognize them, accept them and feel them freely. I also think that my self-esteem is improving, I am learning to love myself as I am, to accept my life and my pain . And now I am trying to appreciate and strengthen my positive sides”.
Even the way we look at others, the way we relate to each other in the group, has been questioned and has changed. M. says: “I became friends with a boy and we got along really well. One day I saw that he was quiet, that he had distanced himself. I tried to figure out why, but he was elusive and I couldn’t talk to him. With the communication lab I learned many things, including assertive communication. So I wanted to try again and I went to look for my friend again to clarify things. In fact, by mistake, each of us had imagined things about the other that were not true. We cleared things up and it was beautiful. By talking we saved our friendship . ”
Life within the community offers these kids the chance to experience what they have learned by participating in the training program. Like learning to apologize. 
This is what C. did: “I am spontaneous and I like to joke. At work I asked a boy something with a loud tone of voice. But it was not my intention to command or demand something, I did not do it on purpose. However, I immediately saw that the other was looking at me badly, I understood that I had hurt him. I apologized and explained that I wasn’t angry and didn’t mean to hurt him. Thanks to this gesture we are back to working well”.
The ability to listen has become one of the winning keys to self-knowledge and that of those who are following the same path to recovery from drug addiction in the two Argentine cities: “When we are together, I always talk more about the others, I hardly give anyone space. Then I remembered what we had heard at the communication workshop and I thought about giving space by listening. So I saw that I could get to know the others better”.
