Fall 2024 Newsletter:

This issue: Becas and Donors: Better Futures for Our Girls

Strategic Planning for 2025

With summer travels ending, the Board of Mujeres en Cambio gathered on August 29th for a strategic planning session. After Daniel Medina, Treasurer, reviewed the budget, the Board voted to fund becas for 185 girls in the 2024-2025 school year. This is an increase of 4 additional girls from 8 rural communities, 1 girl from an orphanage, and 2 girls from a special education school. The breakdown is: 64 secundaria (junior high) girls, 65 prepas (high school) girls, and 56 university girls.  In order to support these students, the Board and its volunteers plan to generate funds through a series of celebrations, events, and individual and group donations.  (Disclaimer: numbers sometimes fluctuate slightly as girls enter and leave the scholarship program.)

During the strategic planning meeting, various board committees identified organizational goals for the future. Goals included enhancing volunteer outreach, increasing engagement of Mexican supporters and others.

The Board also decided to increase awareness among existing donors regarding opportunities to sponsor individual students.  Our girls come to us as 8th graders and are eligible for support through university graduation. Many of our girls are with us for 10 years!  It costs so little to change the lives of these girls. 

Funding one secundaria or prepa student for a year costs only $6,000 Pesos ($305 USD).  To support a university girl for a year costs only $14,000 pesos ($700 USD)!   

For information about how to sponsor a girl, please email: becas@mujeresencambio.org.

Presentation of Fall Becas

Please note the date of the next awarding of becas is September 24-25, at the Instituto de Allende. Visitors are welcome on September 24 from 12:30-1 pm, and on September 25 after 12 noon (following a seminar for our University students).

Seminar for University Students

Prior to the awarding of the scholarships for the university students on September 25, Mujeres en Cambio will host a luncheon seminar for these young women. Speakers will include psychologist, Carolina Salazar, Executive Director of Amor del Bueno NPO.  She will present a talk on how to identify 10 signs of an unhealthy relationship, and 10 signs of a healthy relationship. Also presenting will be Clinical Psychologist, Sandra Delgado, of Ser Mujeres, who will speak on the Imposter Syndrome.

Grant Writer Needed

Mujeres en Cambio is seeking to employ a grant writer for a 3-month-long (paid) position to explore funding opportunities to support the organization’s scholarship programs.  The person must be experienced in writing grants and must be bi-lingual. Interested parties should contact: becas@mujeresencambio.org

New Volunteers Welcome

Mujeres en Cambio welcomes new volunteers.  The Events, Communication, and Development committees are actively recruiting members from the Mexican and expat communities.  Come and attend the becas awards on Sept. 24^th at the Instituto from 12:30-1 pm and ask the Board members present how you can become involved. The jobs are fulfilling and the work is important.  Gracias!  

Last but Not Least, We are Grateful for our Wonderful Donors

Amistad Canada and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship continue to be pillars of support for the work of MeC.  We send thanks from beautiful San Miguel de Allende to you and all the other groups and individual donors who make it possible for us to provide the becas. 

Celebrating our Donors

The party will be held at Bekeb, owned by mixologist and MeC supporter, Fabiola Padilla. We thank Fabiola for making this event possible. Thanks to our friends in the local arts community who have donated art work, there will be an art raffle fund-raiser.

Photos of the events will be shared at a later date in our newsletter.