May's Charity: Mujeres Aliadas

Please join us on Sunday, May 29th at 4:00pm to learn more about this month's featured charity, socialize and dine with some amazing local women!

Even in the United States, getting to access to healthcare for women's health issues can be tricky. Thankfully, programs like Planned Parenthood and other health clinics and federal/state programs for those in financial need help cover those who need medical attention or routine preventative care at an affordable cost, or even for free.

In the area that Mujeres Aliadas focuses on, women suffer from preventable diseases, watch their babies die or die themselves due to lack of access to healthcare. Mexico is the 11th most populated country on earth with 47% impoverished inhabitants. Michoacán, México, is the 3rd poorest state in Mexico -- and is home of the area that Mujeres Aliadas focuses on (Lake Pátzcuaro). The vast majority of people from all municipios lack health insurance. The rate of maternal mortality in the
Pátzcuaro area is 103 deaths per 100,000 live births. (In comparison, the United States’ rate for 2005 was 15 deaths.)

The illiteracy level in Michoacán is 47% higher than the Mexican national average, with the average level of education being below the 7th grade. This with the lack of entitlement to health services on top of the illiteracy rate, these Mexican citizens are stuck in poverty.

Dining for Women's donations will help fund a rural midwife project at a women's clinic in one of the indigenous villages Mujeres Aliadas serves. Specifically, DFW's funds will provide the necessary support for the professional midwives and their basic equipment to begin caring for the women while contracts with governmental agencies are pending.

To learn more about the details about the budget of Mujeres Aliadas and more about the region it serves, visit the DFW page for this charity this month here.

For recipe ideas you can use for your dish you plan to bring, check out this PDF provided by DFW.

If you are not on our Evite distribution and would like to be, please email erikakeaveney@gmail.com. These dinners are open to the public, though for reasons of privacy and limited space, we will not be publishing event locations on the blog.