ASOCIACION JUVENIL "JADAT"

JADAT

  Who are they?

“JADAT” (“YADS”) stands for Young Adolescents who are decided to Succeed.  It is a group of young people who live in the shanty town “Paraíso” located in Cajamarquilla, district of Lurigancho – Chosica.  Our youth organization is made up of approximately 20 young adults and adolescents who have been promoting the participation of young boy and girls in activities to improve their community.  The JADAT group is mainly characterized by the production and broadcasting of short films and documentaries.

The JADAT group originated from a pilot Project to work with young people which was initiated by CEPRODEP in the year 2000.  Their first short film, Días en la Vida (Days in a Life), was produced in 2001; it is about the life and death of the leader of one of the most frightful gangs of the Cajamarquilla community, the “cheloco”.  At that time, JADAT was made up of young people who were former members of gangs, and we were able to incorporate their leaders into the youth group through a new and different proposal:  “to make movies”.  As time went on, together with young individuals of the youth organization ODAJU –Organization for the development of the young adolescents- of the community of La Florida, the second short film was made:  “Historias Marcadas” (Marked Stories), in 2003, based on the life of a group of young people, their love stories, their problems, their illusions regarding the future, the friendship that keeps them together and the violence that surrounds them.  After a rather long parenthesis, and possessing a more solid organization, they produced what they consider their best piece of work:  their third short film, “Ángeles Caídos” (Fallen Angels) in 2005, directed by the film maker Felipe Degregori.  This work depicts the life of a young man who decides to get away from the gangs, alcohol and drugs as a result of falling in love and because he joins a youth organization.

Finally, by the end of November, 2006, we were able to carry out our fourth great Project:  the fourth short film "De Niña a Mujer" ( Girl turning to Woman), 2006, which deals with the “Adolescent Pregnancy”.  This project was financed by the United Nations Population Fund –UNFPA- and the German Technical Social Cooperation Service -DED. The JADAT group –through the audiovisual production- intends to change the negative perception which the adults have of the youth, looking at ways of expression for the young people, such as the movies.  This is a strategy for promoting participation of young people who live in the sectors of extreme poverty in our country.

One of JADAT´s main leaders is JOAQUIN VENTURA UNOCC, current president of JADAT.  Joaquín, who is better known as “Nando”, is the script writer and the most senior member of the group.  JORGE VENTURA UNOCC, better known as “Tito”, is responsible for the management committee and for handling the cameras.  Our youth organization is supported and guided  by NGO CEPRODEP’s Juan Carlos Contreras Velásquez- Licensed in Psychology- who is also our coordinator and friend. All persons who may be interested in learning more about our youth organization, or providing some support or cooperation, can do so by writing to us to the following emails: org_jadat@hotmail.com  or  jcontrerasv74@hotmail.com