“I have been an informal vendor for more or less 17 years,” says Yerlin Narváez, 34, from Medellín, Colombia. “I think it’s in my blood. As a child, I sold empanadas and black pudding. I have been an activist for a long time, too.” She joined the union, UGTI (Unión General de Trabajadores Informales), when she was around 15 years old. Currently, she leads the Medellín chapter as president. She was also elected as a member of a committee of representatives of informal vendors for public policies that impact their livelihoods.

In many unions and organizations, young people often take a marginal role. This is true particularly for young women. This was one of the reasons why StreetNet International, in 2024, launched the project “Youth in Action.” The first pilot was held in the Americas, culminating in a workshop in Guatemala City in April 2025.

“We are often excluded from decision-making in our organization because we do not have the experience. So many times, out of respect for our leaders, we do not say what we really think,” continues Yerlin. Yerlin was the coordinator of the youth group of the Americas and facilitated various meetings, keeping the group going beyond the conclusion of the project. “I was motivated to strengthen a group and take up the banner for young people, so that they could meaningfully enact change from within their organizations.”

As a result of the Youth in Action project in the Americas Yerlin has been able to build her confidence and capacity to take on leadership roles in her community. Yerlin’s activism at the local and international levels helped kickstart a successful political career for the protection of workers in the informal economy in her local context. The success of the Youth in Action project has demonstrated how a solid alliance among young people from different unions can have a profound impact on their political engagement.

“I love being able to help other young people and absorb the things they have learned within their unions,” says Yerlin. “Young activists have their own struggle, also within their unions, to make their voices heard.”

Activism, Motherhood, and Family Time

Yerlin is also a mother, and she has family responsibilities. This creates specific challenges. “The biggest challenge I face is, first of all, time. Family requires time, and so does organizing and working for the cause—everything requires time. Having to split yourself between all of this is extremely difficult.” Activism and meetings, she says, require a lot of effort.

Another major challenge is financial. You often have to stop working in order to take care of your family, and it is rarely valued. “Other comrades don’t always see it the same way; instead, they begin to judge, criticize, and say all kinds of things. It becomes incredibly complex and exhausting.”

The impact of the project

“Affiliates in the Americas region have long identified the need to prioritise the issue of youth participation within their unions, and already we are seeing how this project and the creation of a regional youth group is having a positive impact in the region”, says Patrick Kane, StreetNet regional organiser for the Americas. “Our affiliates have amazing young leaders like Yerlin, and we are very happy that the project has helped to develop their confidence and leadership skills. So we are already seeing that this impact at the individual level is also impacting at the collective level, as our affiliates and the regional focal point benefit from the participation and contributions of dynamic young leaders”.

UGTI members. Credits: Yerlin Narvaez

Empowerment Across Borders

Yerlin is now the president of her city union in Medellín, Colombia. She joined as a member, then was appointed secretary, and then president. She is active in local politics: she’s the representative of her community on the local committee and is currently running for a position on the city council. She combines this type of local activism with her cross-border, international role as coordinator of the youth group in the Americas.

“It’s still frightening to talk and speak your mind.” That is true especially as a young woman. “There is a lot of machismo in the structures.” But Yerlin and her fellow young activists from all over the continent are committed to working through them. “The union leaders have their processes and we want to respect them. It’s complicated to break into these spaces sometimes,” she concludes. “However, reaching those spaces has been an incredible experience for me. I used to be much more afraid to express myself. My self-confidence has grown immensely. Working through my fear has been immensely gratifying.”