Kelvin Enamorado went from living in a rural area in the interior of Honduras to settling in the Chamelecón sector, a conflictive neighborhood in the country’s second city, San Pedro Sula. “I came from a poor family, I remember that we had only one uniform to go to school and when we got home, we had to wash and dry it so we could put it on the next day.” He lived in a town when his family moved to San Pedro Sula, which for years has held a macabre title: the most dangerous city in the world. «When we arrived, I soon realized that that place had rules. People who are born there know them, because they are instilled in them when they are very young: ‘don’t go here’, ‘don’t cross this street’. I didn’t know them. One day, going to school I was assaulted for the first time. I barely had a cell phone that was worthless, but I was petrified. There I understood that I had to be vigilant; I learned to distrust people who approach me and who I don’t know”; explains.
One day at school, they asked for volunteers to paint a wall. Kelvin, who had some free time in those days, volunteered. «When I arrived, I realized that we were not going to paint a wall, but a mural. For the activity they had also brought a break dancing group, and that’s when I had the click. With a shy disposition, Kelvin began practicing choreography in his room, but was soon joined by his younger brother and a friend. And so, by practicing the three, they gained followers. Those were the beginnings of Warriors Zulu Nation. «Not even in my wildest dreams could I have ever thought that I could have dedicated myself to this. In many countries, children dream of being doctors, engineers, teachers… I always had the dream of emigrating and being a bus driver; “I had never considered that I could have a different future,” he says.
Warriors Zulu Nation
Little did Kelvin Enamorado imagine that his interest in breaking would become what Warrior Zulu Nation is now, an NGO whose purpose is to offer adolescents in complex socioeconomic situations access to culture so that they can imagine another type of future. . There are several pillars of the initiative, now converted into an institution, but one prevails above all of them: the need to promote a culture of peace and understanding. This might seem trivial, but in streets so battered by violence, the fact that young people can imagine a future of peace is quite a chimera.
Since its birth, routines in Warriors Zulu Nation have changed a lot. «Now we have an agreement with an organization that had an abandoned building due to gang issues. Here we have installed the Warriors House. For four days a week, art classes in different disciplines are held: dance, chess, painting, drawing, guitar, choir, flute… All this thanks to collaborative work with other organizations and institutions. Working with so many young people in such a large facility also entails great responsibility. We also work on actions with the mothers of the children who participate in artistic activities and we offer different trainings,” explains Kelvin, who believes that it is very important to involve families. The organization also carries out specific actions in other parts of the city and the country. «We do this through grants, consultancies and other funding opportunities. “That means a lot of management and desk work, preparing proposals.”
Kelvin’s daily life has also changed a lot, and now he spends many hours at the desk to carry out different projects. For Warriors Zulu Nation has a dream: “to be self-sustaining and not depend on anyone,” he concludes.
Honduras, a country devastated by violence
Insecurity and violence, the prevalence of pockets of poverty and systemic corruption are some of the structural problems that Honduras has suffered for years. President Xiomara Castro’s government, despite promises, is failing to promote radical improvements. According to data from Human Rights Watch, “in 2021, nearly 80% of Hondurans in rural areas lived in poverty, with incomes less than $7 a day, and almost all of them in extreme poverty, with incomes less than 4 dollars a day. In March 2023, official data showed that 14% of Hondurans did not know how to read or write.
This context constitutes an ideal breeding ground for the proliferation of gangs and violence. Although from 2022 to 2023, the number of homicides decreased considerably, violence in the streets continues to be one of the country’s main problems. “According to Insight Crime, a think tank and media outlet specialized in crime and security, Honduras has the second highest homicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean, after Jamaica,” reads the HRW country report. To stop this violence, Xiomara Castro’s executive has imposed a state of emergency on different occasions, which has caused the violation of numerous human rights.
This situation means that many people try to leave the country to seek a better future, especially in the United States. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) “Since 1990 to date, the number of Honduran people living outside their country of origin has increased from 156,000 to 985,0009, with the main destination country being the United States of America” . Also according to data from this same organization, “it is estimated that by 2022, 247,000 people were internally displaced in Honduras due to causes derived from incidents of violence and approximately another 1,100,000 people due to the effects of natural disasters.” .
In addition, Honduras is also a country of passage for citizens of other Latin American nationalities, especially people from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Ecuador who migrate to the United States. According to the National Migration Institute (INM) of Honduras and the IOM itself, from 2022 to 2023 these arrivals of people in transit tripled and exceeded half a million people. So far in 2024, it is estimated that some 250,000 people have arrived in the country with the intention of reaching Mexico and the United States.
You lived in a rural area, but your family decided to move to the second largest city in Honduras: San Pedro Sula; and to one of the most conflictive sectors: the Chamelecón sector. How was that change?
Migrating from a rural town to the second largest city in the country was a radical change in my life. Life in the countryside and towns is much quieter, but it is also true that there are many fewer opportunities for study and growth. That was precisely the reason why my family decided to move to the Chamelecón sector of San Pedro Sula. I also realized that there was more violence in the city. It was very difficult for me to understand what was happening, the dynamics. I didn’t understand why people were afraid to cross from some neighborhoods in the sector to other neighborhoods in the same sector. I didn’t know the context of control that the gangs have in the colonies. The Chamelecón sector is divided into two and is distributed between the two strongest gangs in the country. These types of things you understand as time goes by. Even if they explain it to you, you don’t understand it until you live it. They attacked me and that was when I began to understand that what they call invisible borders exist and are real. And that’s where fear arises. The control is real, because the people who live within the sector do so with restrictions. Control has also changed over time and depending on state policies; but it has not been reduced. The ways of operating have changed, however. Ten or twelve years ago you could see gang members in the streets with weapons and now it is very rare to see that, because there is more police and military presence on the streets.
You continue to live in an area controlled by gangs; It is understandable that many kids approach them, because they offer them things that the State, today, cannot offer them. How did you not succumb to it?
The gangs offer a lot of protection to children and adolescents and give an image of heroes to the community. When a stage of weakness occurs in the gang, assaults and robberies within the neighborhoods increase. When the gang is stronger, the gang members themselves are in charge of eliminating the assailants and thieves within the sector. Now, for example, it has been years since we have had assaults within the sector; and that is not thanks to the police, but to the gangs. They present themselves as the caretakers and protectors of the colony; and they certainly may be right, because they succeed. This earns them the admiration of children and adolescents, and that is why they want to be part of these organizations. They want to be respected, to have power, to exercise fear. There are many children who do not have protection in their homes, or a plate of food, something to belong to. The fate of gang members, however, is clear: from a certain point of involvement in the gang, there are only two options: death or prison. All of them are aware of this and even with that they prefer to take the risk than not be part of anything and live ignored. My interest in hip hop saved me.
Where does that interest come from?
I had always liked art and the school where I studied gave me this opportunity. When we came to live in the Chamelecón sector, I was 17 years old and at school they came to give a muralist workshop. I decided to enroll and learned drawing techniques. A group of break dancers also arrived at that same space and I was delighted with them. From there, I started practicing. Over time I discovered that this dance belonged to hip hop culture and I realized that I was getting into something big and positive. This helped keep me away from gangs.
In 2011 Warriors Zulu Nation was born. How does this birth occur and how is it received by the community? Weren’t you afraid to start the project?
Warriors Zulu Nation was born in a very organic way. I wasn’t planning to start an NGO and we were all teenagers. The oldest was me, who was 18 years old. The only thing we wanted was to dance and have a good time; We didn’t want to belong to criminal gangs because we didn’t want to hurt other people. The way we found it was through break dancing and hip hop culture. This interested many other young people in the sector. At first, the community was hostile towards us, because of the way we dressed, because of the stigma. We had all the doors closed and we practiced in the street. We were afraid, yes, but in the end we realized that we had no escape: regardless of what we did we were in danger, so we decided to do what we liked.
Also that same year, a first turning point occurred when a colleague of yours was murdered. How was that moment experienced and why did you decide to continue?
Our partner was kidnapped and murdered by one of the gangs that same year. It was something very serious because, in some way, all the gangs that controlled the sector thought that we were against them, that we were forming a new gang. We were in danger and that made us make the decision: either we left the dance or we continued with it despite all the risks. We decided to continue with the dance, and not only that. We realized how powerful it was for young people and started using it as a tool. Unfortunately, this guy is not the only one who has died; We have lost other friends after him. Every year they kill someone. In 2019, a friend who had been a dance teacher with us was murdered in a nearby city. They are very hard blows that continue to happen, but we remain firm so that young people know that there is something beyond in the neighborhoods controlled by gangs. In these places, young people live with the risk of being murdered, either by a gang or by the police. If they are going to kill us anyway, at least it is doing what we like.
Have you ever thought about throwing in the towel because of difficulties?
Yes, every time I lose a friend or someone close to me migrates; because it gives you the feeling that there are no results, that all the work you do is of no use.
What has choosing this life brought you on a personal level?
It has contributed a lot to me. I am happy to see so many young people involved with the topic of dance, painting, rap. We know that we cannot save everyone, but there are people who are taking advantage of the space and tools we offer them. And they not only learn about art, but about other very important social issues, such as climate change, gender education, youth empowerment, peaceful coexistence or human rights.
Who have you been inspired by over the years?
We have several sources of inspiration: some Honduran and Central American dancers, like Bboy Milo, who disappeared in El Salvador. We always remember his teachings and share them. In 2015 we had the opportunity to travel to Medellín, Colombia, and we learned about the work done at Casa Kolacho, in Comuna 13, which is very similar to the Chamelecón sector. We hope that our sector can become what Comuna 13 has become; that is why we work at Casa Warriors.
What would you say to young teenagers today who, at 13 or 14 years old, don’t know what to do with their lives?
I always tell them that when they see an opportunity, take advantage of it; that they are not afraid to experiment with new training and disciplines, that they try it; because perhaps there they will find the meaning of their lives. And if they find it, let them focus on learning and improving. I also advise you to have a plan B. I finished my studies as a refrigeration technician, just in case.
Given the possibility of having migrated to the United States or another country, why did you decide to stay in Honduras?
I have had many opportunities to leave the country, yes. And many people have encouraged me to leave, because things are ugly; but things have always been ugly. I feel like I couldn’t live anywhere else knowing that being in Honduras I can do much more than being outside. I could leave alone knowing that I will be more useful outside than inside; so far it has not been like that. Thanks to hip hop I managed to see my mother, who lived for 18 years in the United States, and I have had the opportunity to study at university. I never thought I could go to university. With hip hop I realized that I liked both learning and teaching; But I also realized that I needed to become professional, because by being professional I would be able to generate more opportunities, both for myself and for others. And this is how I managed to finish my degree in pedagogy and educational sciences at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. Now I am looking for opportunities to pursue a master’s degree.
What would you ask for the future of Honduras?
Let them not hinder us, so to speak. Over the years we have worked very hard to carry out the projects, then there is a change in the government, the laws are modified and everything becomes complicated and the work done is ruined. Historically, governments have not helped us; but quite the opposite: they have hindered us. It would also be a dream if there were more projects like ours, in all sectors and neighborhoods of San Pedro Sula and also in rural areas and towns, where training opportunities are very scarce. There are also situations of violence at different levels.
