Impact area: Social inclusion; Sustanable Development Goals 3, 10

Daniela Retamales founded Fundación Prótesis 3D in 2016. The organization empowers people with disabilities through the delivery of functional and personalized prostheses, which are manufactured using 3D printers. The manufacturing is assisted by young people who are in detention, improving the quality of life and social inclusion of both groups.

“The problem we are facing during the pandemic,” Daniela explains, “is the elimination of economic resources so that minors can access prostheses and so that young people [in detention centers] can access training. Prosthetic hands play a very important role in the physical development, self-image, and confidence of young people with disabilities. In the case of young people [in detention centers], our workshop gives them the feeling that they are helping others, impacting the improvement of behavior, and has even managed to reduce their sentence. COVID brought with it the elimination of support programs for both these vulnerable communities.”

The Global Youth Resilience fund will help Daniela and her team achieve their goals in the following ways:

• Provide 25 children (ages 4-18) with their prosthesis and rehabilitation session. These children are expected to increase their self-confidence, decrease the possibility of dropping out of school, and promote social inclusion.
• Provide 15 young people in detention centers access to the laboratory of digital manufacturing technologies so they can learn and then design and manufacture the 25 prostheses for the children of the Foundation.
• Of the incarcerated youth who participate, we expect 30 percent of them will experience a decrease in the duration of their sentences due to good behavior. Also, at least two participating incarcerated youth are expected to enter education or a formal job.

Find out more about Fundacion Prótesis 3D here.