Partnership will provide confidential, Spanish-language support to enable young people to quickly and privately access help when they need it most.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, July 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Crisis Text Line, a global nonprofit that provides free, 24/7, confidential mental health support in English and Spanish, has joined forces with the Anglo American Foundation (AAF) to expand and integrate youth mental health support within Arequipa’s local ecosystem through Aquí Estoy’s service. Aquí Estoy, powered by Crisis Text Line, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing compassionate, confidential support to people in need across 20 Spanish-speaking countries throughout Latin America, Spain, and the Caribbean.
Arequipa has the highest suicide rate in Peru, with 22% of adolescents reporting suicidal thoughts, depression affecting 11.4% of young people, and more than 40% of adolescents experiencing violence. At the same time, many young people face significant barriers to accessing care due to stigma, a shortage of mental health professionals, limited school-based support, and insufficient services to meet growing demand. By investing in Arequipa, AAF and Aquí Estoy aims to help strengthen the local mental health ecosystem and expand access to timely, community-based support so more young people can learn, grow, and thrive.
“Meeting young people where they are means more than being on the social platforms they use every day,” said Bruno Borges, Executive Director, Aquí Estoy. “It means connecting digital innovation with the trusted organizations already supporting them. By embedding Aquí Estoy within Arequipa’s existing network of youth organizations, we’re making mental health support easier to access while strengthening the local ecosystem of care. This approach strengthens referral pathways, deepens connections between local partners, and ensures that young people can more easily find and move through the support systems available to them, especially at the moments they need it most.”
The initiative is designed not as a standalone service, but as an integrated component of Arequipa’s existing youth mental health ecosystem. Through partnerships with local organizations, schools, universities, and community spaces, Aquí Estoy will work to increase awareness of mental health resources and strengthen connections across support networks.
In addition, the grant will focus on expanding and supporting volunteer capacity to meet growing demand and generating localized insights from service usage to inform policy, programming, and community response. These insights will be shared with key stakeholders to help improve mental health pathways and ensure services remain responsive to the needs of young people in Arequipa.
“For young people in Arequipa, mental health support is not separate from opportunity,” said Veronica Melzi, Head of Partnerships and Programmes, Latin America, Anglo American Foundation. “It is what helps them build confidence, make decisions, navigate pressure and imagine a future for themselves. If we want young people to thrive, they need access to support that is trusted, practical and close to the realities of their lives. We are excited to partner with Crisis Text Line and our ecosystem partners on this important initiative.”
As part of this effort, Aquí Estoy is partnering with EMpower, a global philanthropic organization that partners with local organizations in emerging market countries to enable marginalized young people to transform their lives and communities. Aquí Estoy will collaborate with EMpower to complement ongoing initiatives and help address gaps in mental health resources across the region of Arequipa.
Insights derived from service interactions will be shared with EMpower and its network of partner organizations to inform program design, advocacy efforts, and community-based interventions.
About Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line is a global mental health organization dedicated to supporting people in their most difficult moments.The nonprofit focuses on crisis intervention and prevention, providing free, 24/7, confidential mental health support in English and Spanish through a text-based platform that meets people where they are. We pair human connection with scalable technology, research, and partnerships to strengthen mental health systems and drive lasting change. Since its launch in 2013, Crisis Text Line has supported over 12 million conversations in the United States and more than 17 million globally together with its partners in Canada, the UK and Ireland. Simply text HELLO to 741741 to reach a live volunteer Crisis Counselor. Additional information is available at www.crisistextline.org.
About Aquí Estoy
Aquí Estoy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing compassionate, confidential support to people in need across 20 Spanish-speaking countries throughout Latin America, Spain, and the Caribbean. Since its founding in 2020, Aquí Estoy has trained more than 450 volunteers and currently receives over 120,000 conversations each year, offering help to thousands of individuals during some of their most vulnerable moments. Individuals in need of support can reach Aquí Estoy by texting via WhatsApp.
About Anglo American Foundation
The Anglo American Foundation is an independent charity founded by Anglo American, committed to championing the next generation. Harnessing the power of philanthropy to shift systems and strengthen civic space, the Foundation works with locally led partners to catalyse youth agency and unlock capital and opportunity – creating the conditions for young people to shape their futures and drive change.
Vanessa Showalter
Crisis Text Line
+1 949-748-0542
email us here
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