Month: March 2023

NEW YORK, March 1, 2023 /3BL Media/ – UNFCU Foundation announced the 19 grantees it will be funding this year. The projects sustain pathways out of poverty for women and youth through access to health care, livelihood training, and education across three continents.

Funding for these grants and UNFCU Foundation’s support for humanitarian relief enabled the organization to reach a milestone of $1 million in grants.

“We are thrilled to enable more women and youth to gain economic and social empowerment,” said Pamela Agnone, chairperson of the UNFCU Foundation. “Our partners’ impact-driven programs and the resiliency of participants signal continued success advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2023.”

Grants are awarded to initiatives that focus on the empowerment of women and youth, and particularly on the Foundation’s mission to end poverty. The chosen partners demonstrate a strong record of accomplishment and UN SDG impact in marginalized communities. According to several ongoing grantees, UNFCU Foundation’s funding has fast-tracked growth in critical areas:

“Support from UNFCU Foundation will enable New York-based YWCA Brooklyn to expand its YW Brooklyn LEAD Program to serve more young women of color in poverty-impacted communities,” said Martha Kamber, the organization’s CEO & President. “In exploring college and careers, girls take their first steps towards economic mobility.”

“MindLeaps launched a virtual academy to help youth refugees in Uganda transition from social-emotional learning to economic empowerment with its UNFCU Foundation grant,” said Rebecca Davis, founder and executive director. “In 2023, to further strengthen families and self-belief, women will receive extensive business training through our Moving Forward Together Program.”

“RefuSHE will provide additional refugee artisans in Nairobi, Kenya with the technical, business, and financial training they need to become skilled craftswomen and self-reliant entrepreneurs,” said Rose Kanana Muthuri, chief programs officer. “UNFCU Foundation’s grant will enable more young women to continue healing while they achieve economic and social independence. This includes saving the income they earn as members of RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective and launching their own businesses across Nairobi.”

Grantees and projects supported by the UNFCU Foundation in 2023:

Health care grantees:

The Floating Hospital continues to provide behavioral health services and support programs for women and children in New York City.Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center provides integrated medical, sexual, and reproductive health, as well as behavioral and mental health services to youth in New York City.United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) delivers livelihood training to obstetric fistula survivors in Nigeria.

Education grantees:

Building Tomorrow ensures children in rural Uganda access to foundational learning opportunities, including literacy and numeracy via its Roots to Rise Program.Girl Up instructs adolescent girls in three target under-resourced communities in Kenya with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), life skills, and enhanced leadership development training to become advocates for gender justice.Grace Outreach enhances the academic skills of low-income women in New York City through the pursuit of higher education and employment.

Livelihood training grantees:

The BOMA Project enrolls ultra-poor women living in Northern Kenya in a two-year program that includes financial, life skills, and business training.Hot Bread Kitchen expands workforce development and social entrepreneurship programs in the food industry for women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities in New York City.International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides employment services to refugee women in America through its Women’s Employability Program.Kilimanjaro Initiative (KI) empowers Maasai women through female genital mutilation (FGM) awareness, business skills training, and creating a hub for women’s development.MindLeaps provides young adults in the Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, Uganda with access to the Virtual Academy Program on business entrepreneurship and life skills.Mission for Community Development (MCODE) enhances the income-generating capacity of young rural women and girls in Uganda through agricultural vocational skills.RefuSHE expands in-person and virtual vocational training programs for urban refugee young women in Nairobi.Sanctuary for Families addresses the root causes of abuse, poverty, and homelessness in New York City via intensive living-wage career training.Imagine Her enables young women in Uganda to gain leadership and social enterprise training through the Imagine Academy.Together We Bake provides women in the Washington, DC area with livelihood training and hands-on experience in the food industry.Trickle Up improves economic opportunities for women, including the disabled, living in extreme poverty in Guatemala. The organization also builds their resilience to socioeconomic shocks using the Graduation Approach.Village Enterprise expands the Poverty Graduation Program, an entrepreneurship training program for primarily women and girls in rural Uganda.The YWCA of Brooklyn offers college access and leadership skills training to girls of color from poverty-impacted communities in Brooklyn, NY.

Humanitarian relief in 2022:

Supporting emergency humanitarian work on the ground with partners represents an additional commitment by UNFCU Foundation to leave no one behind. In 2022, relief efforts supported the people of Ukraine in collaboration with UNICEF USA and USA for UNHCR. A partnership with USA for UNHCR contributed to its Horn of Africa campaign.

ABOUT UNFCU FOUNDATION

UNFCU Foundation is an accredited New York-based, non-profit corporation launched in 2015. It was established by the United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU) with a mission to sustain the path out of poverty through healthcare and education for women and youth. Since its inception, UNFCU Foundation has supported programs to enable more than 31,000 marginalized women and youth to unlock their potential.

To learn more, follow UNFCU Foundation’s progress on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT

Elisabeth Philippe, UNFCU Foundation, ephilippe@unfcufoundation.org, Tel. +1 347‑686‑6776; Mobile +1 347‑510‑4036 

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Fairtrade America, the world’s most recognized label for social justice and sustainability, is pleased to announce that Amanda Archila has today joined the organization as Executive Director. Archila comes to Fairtrade America with more than 15 years of experience working in a range of industries, from natural food to e-commerce retail and consumer electronics. Archila also brings an extensive fair trade advocacy background and passion for the organization.

In her new position, Archila will support Fairtrade America as the organization enters an exciting chapter of growth marked by increased consumer awareness of the Fairtrade Mark and the impact it has on farming communities worldwide. According to the 2021 biennial Fairtrade Consumer Insights report conducted by Globescan, 41% of Americans recognize the Fairtrade Mark, an increase of almost 50% from 2019. Furthermore, trust in the Mark has also increased, with 57% of Americans agreeing they trust the Mark, up 48% from 2019.

Archila’s new role with Fairtrade America is a true full circle moment. After dedicating much of her undergraduate time as a student activist for the fair trade movement, including serving as an Oxfam America CHANGE Leader in 2005, Archila supported the development and launch of a domestic fair trade certification in India with cotton farming cooperatives. Archila then returned to the U.S. and spent five years in marketing and sales roles within Divine Chocolate, a leading Fairtrade company co-owned by cocoa farmers. During her tenure at Divine, she was inspired to earn her MBA from Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, which helped prepare Archila to pivot to retail vendor management at Amazon, where she held a variety of senior leadership roles across multiple business units.

As a result of her comprehensive background in both the private sector and advocacy communities, Archila has a strong understanding of the role each stakeholder plays in the fair trade movement. Archila plans to leverage this expertise to deepen Fairtrade America’s retailer relationships; strengthen licensee partnerships in key categories; and increase consumer awareness of the impact of choosing Fairtrade products so that they further advocate for those options at the point of purchase.

“Amanda’s wealth of relevant experience throughout the supply chain, combined with her passion for Fairtrade, will be invaluable for the future of this movement in the U.S.,” said Dan Arnett, Chair of Fairtrade America’s Board of Directors. “We look forward to Amanda’s contributions and leadership as we continue to further engage with our retail and brand partners and consumers to change the way trade works through better prices, decent working conditions, and a fairer deal for farmers and workers.”

Fairtrade America is the U.S. chapter of Fairtrade International, which has been ranked as the gold standard for certifications by an independent monitoring group in the Reference Guide to Fair Trade and Worker Welfare Programs. Nearly 2 million farmers and workers in 70+ countries follow the Fairtrade Standards. Now more than ever, there is a need to promote fairer trading conditions, and in turn promote gender equality, build resilience to climate change and support worker’s rights.

“My history with the fair trade movement has fueled my passion for supporting farmers and workers, including ensuring they can enjoy secure and sustainable livelihoods and have meaningful representation at each level of decision making,” said Archila. “I am honored to join the talented team at Fairtrade America and to support the organization as it builds on its legacy as the globally most recognized and most trusted ethical label in the world. The future has never been brighter for Fairtrade America, and I am dedicated to keeping the bar high for Fairtrade certification and creating a fairer future for and with farmers and workers.”

In addition to Archila’s professional achievements, she also proudly serves on the Forté Alumni Leadership Council, a group of recent MBA alumni dedicated to furthering Forté’s mission of advancing women. The council is focused on supporting Forté’s post-MBA network as they navigate their careers.

Archila is based in Washington, which also serves as the headquarters for the Fairtrade America team.

About Fairtrade America

Fairtrade America works to rebalance trade, making it a system rooted in partnership and mutual respect rather than exploitation. It’s about businesses, shoppers, farmers and workers all partnering so we can all experience the benefits of trade. Fairtrade America is the U.S. branch of Fairtrade International, the original and global leader in fair trade certification with more than 30 years of experience working for fair trading practices in more than 30 countries across the globe. A non-profit 501(c)3 organization, Fairtrade America is part of the world’s largest and most recognized fair trade system—part of a global movement for change. Learn more at fairtradeamerica.org, and by connecting with Fairtrade America on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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