Vasectomy Access in Remote Choco, for the Planet!

Hello All, 

We are happy to share our latest updates from our work in Family Planning. At the beginning of November, our founders, Isabella Cortes and Sara Lara, attended the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) in Bogotá, Colombia. This conference brings together global leaders in Family Planning to discuss this year’s theme, “Equity Through Action: Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health for All,” with experts in the field leading workshops, panels, and networking opportunities aimed at advancing global, equitable access to reproductive healthcare. 

At the Conference, they celebrated World Vasectomy Day -- a day to bring awareness to male-led family planning across the globe. 

We come with two decades of experience working to provide access to family planning to rural communities in high biodiversity areas. Our message is clear: when families are given access to reproductive healthcare in areas of high biodiversity, human communities are not the only ones who benefit. Endangered ecosystems flourish as well, giving new hope to damaged habitats and disappearing species. 

Shifting focus to our latest Family Planning initiatives, we held a successful brigade in July and another event at the end of September, serving 90 people in total. We provided medical services to men and women who traditionally lack access to family planning services in their communities. 

We are incredibly grateful for your support which has made our presence at the ICFP possible; this opportunity leads us towards growth and connections that will enrich our work for years to come. 

With many thanks, 

The Women for Conservation Team

Dear Donors,

Our sincerest thanks for all you have done to support our family planning program so far. Your help has made a genuine difference in the lives of rural Colombian families, providing them with essential knowledge about sexual health and access to healthcare which they would not otherwise be able to get. 

As the world’s population continues to grow, demands on natural resources only become more intense. This is especially relevant in highly biodiverse and resource-rich areas that are also high in poverty rates, where there is the most at stake and little bandwidth to protect it. This is why we focus our efforts on the Chocó region of Colombia, which has incredible biodiversity but is also very remote, with limited access to healthcare services. 

By providing families with contraception and reproductive care, we can help families choose when to have children and how many to have. This helps curb population growth and subsequently curb strain on the environment in an area that supports thousands of endemic species which depend on that land for survival.

When families have agency over when to have children, they can also ensure that their family finances are healthy and able to support the family they wish to build. With lower pregnancy rates, women have more access to education and are able to lift themselves out of poverty. By donating to this cause, you are not only helping advance global reproductive and environmental health but also the wellbeing of women. 

Please consider contributing to this cause today! We have over 50 men on our waiting list to receive voluntary vasectomies. We want to provide services to all of them, but we can’t do it without your help. A donation of $65 will cover transportation, lodging during recovery, and the procedure itself for one patient — your help can go a long way in providing these life-changing services to rural Colombian families!

With many thanks and gratefulness for your support,

The Women for Conservation Team.