YOUR GIFTS IN ACTION EMPOWERING MOMS LIKE YOU
That’s me, Nekita, the Annual Fund Manager here, and my one and only “Sugar Mama” Greyson.
HOW DO YOU SHOW MOM YOU CARE?
I appreciate a backrub and breakfast in bed as much as any mom.
Actually … since my girls are still babies and my husband’s in the military, I might appreciate pampering more than most.
But when my girls grow up, I hope they show me love on Mother’s Day by investing in the things I care about, like safe births for moms, and clean water for kids.
In honor of Mother’s Day this weekend, I wanted to share a few of the ways your gifts are investing in the health, safety, and empowerment of moms like you and yours in Central America.
Your support for Agros families promotes culturally appropriate gender equity, centered around women’s rights to health, safety, and dignity. That looks like everything from reserving leadership slots for women to involving men in stove-building to give them ownership within the kitchen.
LIVE LIKE MOM TAUGHT YOU TO
Plus, if you’re still shopping for a last minute gift, I have some great ideas to honor the mothers in your life.
Because I think – and I bet you’ll agree – gifts that pay forward the healthy life we’ve been blessed with to women and families in need are the best way to show mom you care. They’re the kind of gifts that prove you were listening when she said “Don’t waste food”and reminded you to be generous and told you you could be anything you wanted when you grow up.
Take it from me, a mom: seeing your children actually live the values you’ve tried to teach them is the most rewarding gift of all.
So let’s meet some moms …
MEET YARIS
“Agros taught all the moms in this community how we should prepare the food for our children,” says Yaris, ” … which foods we should give them, which foods we shouldn’t give them, which ones were rich in vitamins etc, so that we could feed our children well so they can grow healthy and strong.”
This is Yaris. She lives in Nueva Esperanza with her husband Carlos and this little guy, Carlito. In this picture, Yaris and Carlito just finished their monthly “healthy baby session” where Carlito is weighed and measured to make sure he’s on track for healthy development.
These sessions, led by female healthcare volunteers, or brigadistas, are part of a comprehensive maternal and child well-being system that trains mothers on what to expect before, during, and after birth and ensures children are immunized and healthy.
You can fund a Healthy Baby Session in honor of your mom for just $50.
MEET ROSARIO
“I’ve always been a fighter,” says Rosario, a single mother of three; ages 20, 9 and 9 months. “[Before], I worked on a farm… working the land, filling bags, harvesting coffee, cutting weeds with a machete.” Today she’s a proud shopkeeper and soon-to-be landowner.
Rosario is a tough cookie. You can tell, right? A single mother of three, she worked her land solo with her oldest son before saving enough to start hiring laborers while she started a second business: her in-house corner store.
Rosario is also a natural entrepreneur. She saw that her community, Tierra Nueva, lacked a convenient shop to buy everyday necessities like oil, shampoo, sandals, and flour, so she built one in her home. Her store also acts as a community marketplace, where families can sell extra staple crops – beans and corn – and others can purchase. Moreover, the shady, flower-lined patio she’s cultivated in front of her shop has become a natural gathering space within Tierra Nueva, where men and women can come for a soda after work and kids can trade in a coin or two for a sweet piece of candy.
Community banks in Tierra Nueva and other village enable entrepreneurial women like Rosario to save and fund loans for small businesses like Rosario’s store.
You can fund a Community Bank Starter Kit in honor of a feisty mom in your life for just $75.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
On behalf of these moms and all the mothers your generous gifts serve, Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at Agros!
Nekita Jones
Annual Fund Manager
