Thanks so much for all your donations!

Thanks so much to each and every one of you who have so generously donated to help IXCHEN rebuild! An extra special thanks goes out to the ladies at Feministing who blogged about the cause today, resulting in many generous donations from people that we don't even know! The internet is amazing thing and the kindness of strangers is truly overwhelming and humbling. Speaking of, please feel free to re-blog, tweet, or otherwise spread the word about IXCHEN.

I've created a fun little graphic that will be in the sidebar of the blog and will track our fundraising progress. We set our initial goal at $5,000 (USD) and we are well on our way there (though we would be happy to raise the bar!). To date, we have raised almost $1,000, which goes a long way in Nicaragua. Be sure to check back to see how we are progressing!

Thanks again from the bottoms of our hearts,
Megan

Querido Familia y Amigos,
Les invitamos a ayudar Ixchen, Centro de Mujeres, con la reconstrucción de la oficina localizado en Masaya. Este Junio Ixchen Masaya sufrió un incendio trágico en cual la oficina y las materiales fueron destruidas.
Ixchen Masaya es un centro que brinda servicios de salud sexual y reproductiva, asesoramientos jurídicos, psicológicos y educativos a la comunidad de Masaya y las áreas alrededores. En adición de ser un centro que ofrece servicios necesarios y asequibles a las mujeres, su trabajo es un paso importante en modificar los estereotipos culturales que limitan el poder de la mujer. Por eso Ixchen tiene un papel esencial aquí en la comunidad y es un centro importante a los ciudadanos como un lugar que proporciona a la gente oportunidades de empoderamiento.
En este momento todo que el centro tiene esta prestado, regalado o alquilado, incluyendo las materiales, los muebles y el edificio. Por eso Ixchen les pide por su ayuda en la recaudación de fondos por la reconstrucción de un centro nuevo. Puede donar en esta pagina, empuja el boton que dice ¨donate¨ que esta al lado del texto. Gracias por toda ayuda financiera que ofrecen. Con preguntas adicionales sobre los servicios de Ixchen u otros modos de ayudar escriba Molly Green (la pasante de Ixchen), correo electrónico megreen1@gmail.com.

Before the Fire

Here a are a few photos of IXCHEN before the fire. You can click on them to make them larger.




Here are some of the ladies that work at IXCHEN in the temporary office space that they are renting while waiting for the funds to restore their building.


This is a photo of Movil Cines, and activity where IXCHEN workers travel to different communities and present educational programs:

Dear family, friends, and any other kind souls visiting this blog,

As some of you may know, I'm currently in the town of Masaya in Nicaragua, working as in intern for a women´s rights organization. My experience thus far has been fabulous and I've learned more than I could imagine. The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with which I have my internship is called IXCHEN and attempts to provide affordable services in the areas of sexual and reproductive health, psychological counseling, and access to legal services to the women of Masaya and the surrounding communities. The eight women who work there actually make a difference in the lives of many and I feel are supporting the slow process of changing cultural stereotypes and providing women with access to public spaces, therefore empowering women to change their lives and ultimately society. However, the morning of June 30th, disaster struck and their office burned nearly to the ground along with five other surrounding businesses. Because things move a bit more slowly in Nicaragua, the firefighters arrived an hour late and without water, in the end leaving only the walls standing. In addition to an office, they lost valuable educational materials and medical supplies. Unfortunately, there is no insurance policy on the building.

As you can see, the situation is very bleak. So yes, I am ultimately asking for monetary contributions to this organization. Unfortunately (at this time) contributions are not tax deductible but even a small donation makes a huge difference here. If you look right over there to the right sidebar you will see a PayPal button that says "Donate". It will direct you to the PayPal account where we are collecting the funds and you will be able to use your credit card or a check. All donations will go directly to the rebuilding of the office. Thanks so much in advance for any donations and if you have questions about the organization here or Nicaragua just let me know over email (megreen1@gmail.com). I'd be happy to answer any of them.

Thanks again for your time and hopefully your contribution,
Molly Green

P.S. We'll be keeping track of our progress here on the blog, and will update you with photos as often as possible. Internet access in Nicaragua is spotty so I'll (Megan, Molly's sister) will be helping her out on the digital side of things. If you have any technical problems please feel free to contact me at LeslieMeganGreen@gmail.com. Thanks!