Our Journey

WHAT DRIVES US

Improving lives, facilitating alternatives

Yo quiero Yo puedo is a Mexican non-governmental organization. It was created in 1985 as the Mexican Institute of Family and Population Research (IMIFAP) in response to research that showed the lack of control women in Ciudad Nezahuahacotl, Mexico had over their health. Today, our commitment is to empower individuals, enabling them to develop behaviors that allow them to take control of their lives, fully realizing their potential.

Our Journey

BUILDING TO TODAY´S IMPACT

2017
Catalyzing young entrepreneurs
We integrate our life skills model into international entrepreneurship strategies for youth ages 15 to 35. These youth go on to create sustainable businesses and provide jobs to break the poverty circle in vulnerable communities.
2016
Ending the sale of women
Three communities of Mexico´s fourth poorest municipality - Metlatónoc, Guerrero - decide to abolish the sale of women after participating in our program with Prospera. A radical change is achieved on violence and gender equality.
2015
Discovering talents
We design a talent development program targeted to preventing school dropout. The program includes topics related to mathematical and scientific thinking and takes a comprehensive approach to life skills and intellectual curiosity.
2014
Productivity in the private sector
We apply our methodology to achieve sustainable changes within factories, training middle managers and employees to promote the overall well-being of staff and increase productivity.
2013
Reaching senior citizens
We expand our programs to include older adults, launching an initiative that includes issues of self-care and financial resource management. We implement it in marginalized populations through training local promoters.
2012
The stigma of mental illness
We develop a model to build awareness on the stigma surrounding both the care for, and prevention of, mental illness, especially depression.
2011
National early child development program
We collaborate in the development and implementation of the national breastfeeding, SIDS prevention and early stimulation program in Mexico, reaching more than 100,000 women throughout the country through training health personnel in each state.
2011
Jam for sale
We market "Tía Lore" jams, made by one of the microenterprises created with our programs. The support of the Wal-Mart Foundation and "Los Tulipanes" pastry shops is critical to the success of these jams.
2011
We become Yo quiero Yo puedo
In recognition of the current-day focus of our work, we change our name from IMIFAP to Yo quiero Yo puedo (meaning "I want to I can"), which is the name by which our programs are already known.
2009
Multidimensional initiatives
We develop the "Dating violence prevention" video, which is broadcast in cinemas across the country as part of the Cineminuto program. Shortly before this, we launch VenAtrevete, an HIV/AIDS prevention initiative and website designed for teenagers.
2008
Health in the poorest households
We design, implement and evaluate the national program on health, nutrition and social development in the 300,000 poorest households in Mexico, with the support of DICONSA.
2007
Personal agency and empowerment
We develop and publish a scale to measure personal agency and empowerment.
2007
Working hand in hand with Government
We serve as advisers to the Mexican Congress on the issue of dating violence prevention. This same year, we develop a model on hygiene, personal agency and intrinsic empowerment for DICONSA and the Ministry of Social Development.
2006
Diabetes prevention and detection
We integrate a life skills approach into the Mexican Ministry of Health programs targeting obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases prevention. The approach is applied in the border states in conjunction with the Alliance for a Healthy Border.
2005
A program for migrant communities
We launch our first program aimed at migrant communities, which focuses on health issues and HIV/AIDS prevention. The program is carried out in Central America and in border states in southern Mexico.
2004
Early childhood care
We launch an early childhood care program in rural communities, creating Child Development Centers to promote proper attachment, care and cognitive development. We ensure sustainability by training rural promoters in community spaces.
2003
More public policy and new issues
We propose recommendations for the decentralization of Mexico's health, education and social sectors. At the same time, we expand the areas in which we work to include cervical cancer, breast cancer and domestic workers' rights.
2002
First comprehensive community development program
We successfully implement a comprehensive model for marginalized communities where teachers, children and adults participate simultaneously in personal development, health and productivity workshops, all with a focus on gender and inter-institutional collaboration.
2001
Integration of traditional medicine
In order to optimize the use of health and alternative healing services in indigenous communities, we develop a program for the integration and optimization of traditional and institutional services to benefit the population.
2000
Awarded by the Queen of Sweden
Queen Silvia of Sweden recognizes our work in developing the "I want to, I can … prevent addictions" program, which was supported by the Mentor Foundation. This year we also expand our programming to serve rural communities.
1999
A national education program
Our Civics and Ethics Training books are recognized by the Mexican Ministry of Public Education (SEP) as official textbooks at the national level, reaching more than 1.5 million high school students.
1997
Expanding to Asia and Europe
Our life skills and risk prevention programs for teenagers are adopted abroad, reaching other countries in Latin America, Greece and Uzbekistan.
1996
I want to, I can
We create the first version of the I want to, I can program, with specific content for each grade level from pre-school to 6th grade, accompanied by teachers' manuals. This proves to be a very important innovation in educational methodology.
1995
Recognizing life skills, with the WHO
We (Martha Givaudan) participate in the World Health Organization's Mental Health Program, which recognizes and defines the scope and importance of life skills as protective factors for psychosocial risks.
1994
New issues and populations
We launch our first program for medical personnel, to improve quality of care. We also start with the first HIV/AIDS prevention programs for different populations.
1993
Influencing education policy
We present before a legislative committee the need for sex education in Mexico and we are successful in including a clause on this matter in Article 7 of Mexico´s General Education Law.
1992
International reach
We expand our programs through training key staff of Latin American organizations.
1991
National collaboration on education
Mexico´s Ministry of Public Education supports a training for middle school teachers at the national level, in which we teach the "Planning your life" program with notable success.
1990
Towards multi-thematic programs
Our studies show that unprotected sex and other risks, such as addictions, can be prevented through protective factors embodied in life skills, which are at the heart of our programs.
1989
Sex education for all
We prove that providing teenagers with sex education does not advance the initiation of sexual relations and that the teens who participated in the "Planning Your Life" program were more likely to use contraceptives during their first sexual encounter, compared to a control group.
1988
101 Books
Publication of the first in a series of 101 books for children and educators on different topics of interest, including emotional intelligence, preventive healthcare and family relationships.
1987
Publications with a wide reach
"Planning Your Life" (Susan Pick et al.) is published. This book has sold more than 250,000 copies and has 15 editions.
1986
Scales to measure impact
We formalize an action-focused research approach and integrate it into all our programs. Measurement scales and methodologies are developed with a participatory and experiential approach.
1985
IMIFAP is founded
The Mexican Institute of Family and Population Research, A. C. (IMIFAP) is founded and the first applied research on teenage pregnancy prevention begins.