Empower communities to end child marriage - Mexico

Dear GlobalGivers, 

Our team is in Metlatónoc, hard at work getting the workshops off the ground in each community. We wanted to share with you some of the weekly messages they have sent us from the field over the last two months. We want you to see through their eyes, both the lushness of the mountains of Guerrero, particularly during the torrential rainstorms of rainy season, and the the people, so many of whom want to become agents of change for their families and communities: 

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In the communities of Metlatónoc, there is the widespread belief that by selling your daughter, she will not be mistreated by her new husband because he will take care of her as he would a material object he spent money on. But Julia, Metlatónoc leader, explains to us that in reality, this is not so. Local customs allow girls to be sold into marriage and there are no guarantees that they will not be mistreated. (See Julia speak in video 1 below)

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In early August, Yo quiero Yo puedo facilitators Paty and Benito met with local leader Julia and secretary Catalino, at the Metlatónoc Municipal Office. They met to sign the partnership with Yo quiero Yo puedo to eradicate the sale of girls and women in the communities of Metlatónoc. (See the picture below). They "think it will be difficult, but they will give us all their support.” Though it will be difficult, together with these local leaders we will not stop doing everything in our power so that the girls of Metlatónoc can live freely.

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Thanks to the work of our facilitators in the communities of Metlatónoc, Guerrero, over the course of a few days important alliances have been achieved: the local leaders of Metlatonoc have developed an official letter to endorse our work in the communities, Ciudad de las Mujeres will provide legal advice for the Agreements we are working on with each community to end the sale of girls, and we will have support and accompaniment of Consuelo, of Women´s Social Participation, throughout the program. 

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Working in communities is not always easy, especially when there are multiple languages. In the video below (video 2), Benito, our facilitator, is speaking in Mixteco with residents of Juquila, Metlatónoc, inviting them to participate in the workshops we are offering to build their life skills to end child marriage. After various conversations, meetings and a few obstacles, the workshops are underway. (See the picture above!) We are very excited. 

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In the coming months, we will be starting workshops in additional communities. Follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram: @YoquieroYopuedoONG) if you understand a bit of Spanish and want to see more photos and videos. (Like the picture below of the local pickup truck that Paty and Benito had to wait a couple of hours to catch, to get from one town to the next).  

With gratitude for your support, 
Yo quiero Yo puedo

Links:

• Video 1: Julia tells us about local beliefs
• Video 2: Benito uses Mixteco to invite residents to a workshop

Dear GlobalGivers,

As you know, almost 300,000 of today's girls and boys in Mexico have been forced into marriage, most of them sold to an older spouse. Thanks to the funds we have raised to date from you and many others, August 1st we will be launching the next phase of our work to change this reality in the mountains of Guerrero!

Next week, we will be returning to Yuvinani, Valle de Durazno and La Juquila, Guerrero and expanding our work to neighboring San Juan Puertomontaña. In the first three town, the new local governments have been attempting to roll back the 2016 community-level agreements that formally ended the sale of girls for marriage and made it a criminal act to sell a girl, so we will work with the communities to maintain and strengthen their agreements. In San Juan Puertomontaña, they have been asking us for support to develop an agreement for the first time.

In each of these four communities, thanks to your support, we will be facilitating community change processes through:

- Bi-weekly workshops in each community, to build knowledge, shift attitudes and develop life skills with all community members

- Monthly community assemblies with the new government, to renew or sign new agreements

- Ongoing meetings with local organizations to build a local network to further this work across Metlatónoc

Together, we are making sure that more and more girls do not reach the altar.

With gratitude,

Yo quiero Yo puedo