Kirstin, 

Young people living in avellaneda face many difficulties to access the health system, they are excluded from the job market, education and cultural system as well. In this context, the street becomes the privileged space where young people express themselves and recreate their identities. On the other hand, the street presents too many risks, such as conflicts with the police, or abusive drug use.    

Intercambios has been working with the “locos de avellaneda” program for eight years now, promoting health care practices and sanitary attention amongst drug users, with great success and some dificulties. The key is to identify and develop the existing personal and institutional networks. This makes much easier building and actualizing bonds based on trust and confidence with the intervention team. Nevertheless, local expressions of drug related issues are always complex, therefore drug users are submerged on that complexity. Identifying them and developing strategic actions is a permanent challenge. Drug users are usually reluctant to strange people and public institutions, since they do not trust them –and they have very good reasons-.  

However, the methodology depends on its capacity to adequate to the urban social weaver. Then, the first thing we need is to identify, comprehend and incorporate local complexities. That´s the micro-social dimension of any intervention compromised with integration, community building and identity.  This particular program shows that it is possible to promote preventive and assistential actions amongst people who use drugs. Developing street work strategies combined with sanitary units makes it much easier to promote social inclusion for drug users and their families. Flexibility is a must in community building.  

So… in order to answer your question, Kristin, since the whole strategy envolves the concept of adaptation to the local context, these kinds of programs will always be different, depending on the region and the social context. Personally, I think anything is possible when you work side by side with the community. They are the ones who have the real potential for change. We can only guide and help.