WOMEN FORWARD INTERNATIONAL

SHARING THE ABUNDANCE: IMPLEMENTING A FOOD RESCUE MODEL IN MEXICO:IN 2024, WOMEN FORWARD INTERNATIONAL (WFI) SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED WINGS OF LOVE, A FOOD RESCUE PROGRAM, IN VERACRUZ, ONE OF THE MOST UNDERSERVED REGIONS IN THE COUNTRY, AND INITIATED REPLICATION OF THE PROGRAM IN TWO OTHER CITIES IN MEXICO: OAXACA AND MEXICO CITY. INSPIRED BY THE MODEL OF SHARED ABUNDANCE DEMONSTRATED BY THE FOUNDER OF THE WHITE PONY EXPRESS IN CALIFORNIA TO WHICH WFI PROVIDED GRADUATE STUDENT TEAMS AND GRANT FUNDING TO AMPLIFY ITS WORK IN CALIFORNIA TO SERVE WOMEN AND GIRLS, WINGS OF LOVE IS ESTABLISHING A SIMILAR NEW PARADIGM OF PHILANTHROPY IN MEXICO BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT WE ARE ONE HUMAN FAMILY. WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE DEMOGRAPHIC WORLDWIDE TO FOOD INSECURITY. STATISTICS SHOW THAT AT LEAST TWENTY TO THIRTY MILLION OR MORE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE FOOD INSECURITY IN MEXICO. CURRENTLY, A DIVERSE GROUP OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS WORK TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. DESPITE THESE EFFORTS, THE EFFICIENCY, COLLABORATION, AND IMPACT OF MEXICO'S FOOD RESCUE PROGRAMS CAN BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THROUGH A ROBUST, VOLUNTEER-BASED COMMUNITY PROGRAM THAT INCORPORATES AND COORDINATES PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. WINGS OF LOVE IS NOW A SUSTAINABLE PROGRAM ENTIRELY IN THE HANDS OF OUR MEXICAN STUDENT TEAMS, THEIR UNIVERSITY-BASED COORDINATORS AND OVERSEEING FACULTY WHO PROVIDE ACADEMIC AND OTHER FORMS OF SERVICE CREDIT TO PARTICIPATING STUDENTS. IN ADDITION, THE FOOD BANKS AND ROTARY CLUBS ACROSS MEXICO HAVE ENTERED INTO AGREEMENTS WITH WINGS OF LOVE TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM THROUGH VOLUNTEERS, EXCESS FOOD, SUPPLIES, AND TRANSPORTATION. WFI HAS ALSO SECURED THE DONATIONS OF MEXICAN BUSINESSES AND CORPORATIONS THROUGH IN KIND, FINANCIAL, AND VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTIONS. THE FIVE YEAR GOAL FOR WFI IS TO FACILITATE THE REPLICATION OF THE MODEL IN KEY CITIES ACROSS FIVE COUNTRIES IN LATIN AMERICA BY BRINGING TOGETHER BENEFICIAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE UNITED STATES, AND CANADA TO ADDRESS A GAP AREA IN FOOD SECURITY BY ENHANCING EXISTING CHANNELS.

EMPOWERING INDIA'S ARTISAN WOMEN:IN 2024, OUR WFI TEAM PARTNERED WITH GRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN TO WORK TO SAFEGUARD AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF INDIA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE: THE ANCIENT ART OF HIMROO. TOGETHER WITH THE WOMEN'S FOREIGN POLICY GROUP AND THE US-INDIA FRIENDSHIP ALLIANCE WE CURATED A GALLERY EVENT IN NEW YORK FOR A LUXURY FASHION BRAND WHOSE WESTERN FACING NAME IS ZARIZAR.THE EXPORT OF TEXTILES IS INTEGRAL TO THE INDIAN ECONOMY, AND SKILLED ARTISANS ARE CRITICAL TO THAT SUCCESS. GIVEN APPROPRIATE SUPPORT, INDEPENDENT WOMEN WEAVERS CAN CONTINUE TO BE THE VITAL CORE OF THAT WORKFORCE, MAINTAINING A VALUED HERITAGE AS IT PROVIDES LIVELIHOOD FOR THEIR FAMILIES. THIS PROJECT DEMONSTRATES HOW A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP CAN EXPAND THIS COTTAGE INDUSTRY, WHICH PRODUCES SUSTAINABLE WORLD CLASS, "SLOW FASHION" PRODUCTS, FOR THE BENEFIT OF INDIA, WOMEN, AND STYLE-CONSCIOUS CUSTOMERS IN THE UNITED STATES.IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY INTENSIVELY TRAINING COHORTS OF TWENTY-FIVE WOMEN OVER A SIX-WEEK TO TWO-MONTH PERIOD, AROUND THREE HUNDRED NEW SKILLED ARTISANS CAN ENTER THE DISTRICT WORKFORCE AT THE APPRENTICE LEVEL PER YEAR. A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF THESE WOMEN WILL HAVE LIKELY BEEN "UNPAID WEAVERS" IN THEIR HOME. IN ADDITION, THE CENTER PLANS TO BE ABLE TO UPSKILL AND RESKILL EXPERIENCED WEAVERS.THROUGH DONOR SUPPORT AND UPON COMPLETION OF THE RESEARCH STUDY IN PHASE ONE OF THIS PROJECT, WFI IS ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR HIGHLY SKILLED WOMEN WEAVERS IN RURAL REGIONS OF INDIA WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC WELLBEING OF THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THE COUNTRY. THESE WOMEN SAFEGUARD AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF INDIA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE: THE MODERNIZATION OF A CENTURIES-OLD PROCESS THAT NEEDS TO HAVE A NEW AUDIENCE. WFI TOGETHER WITH OUR UNIVERSITY TEAMS AND PARTNERS ON THE GROUND HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR A COMPREHENSIVE, SUSTAINABLE TRAINING CENTER IN RURAL INDIA.