2% for VidaAfrolatina
Creating a world where Black women and girls are free to flourish.
As part of our ongoing commitment to community, Loisa donates 2% of sales each month to a community organization. In honor of Black History Month, this month we are supporting VidaAfrolatina, an organization committed to supporting Black and Afro-descendent women and survivors of sexual violence in Latin America.
Within the intersection of racial and gender justice lies the profound work of VidaAfrolatina, an emerging international women's fund dedicated to amplifying the voices of Black and Afro-descendant women in Latin America. VidaAfrolatina is dedicated to addressing their needs and providing resources for their health and wellness, particularly related to sexual violence.
At its core, VidaAfrolatina serves as a conduit for change within Latin America, mobilizing resources and forging connections with Black and Afro-descendant women-led organizations across Latin American nations. These organizations, meticulously selected through a participatory grant process, are at the forefront of providing healing experiences and spearheading initiatives to combat sexual violence within these communities.
The urgency of VidaAfrolatina's mission is underscored by the stark reality that sexual violence persists as a pervasive issue in many Latin American communities, disproportionately affecting Black and Afro-descendant women. According to VidaAfrolatina’s 2018-2022 Launch Report, Black and Afro-descendant people make up one-third of the Latin American population. Yet, of the total number of grants made in Latin America by human rights funders globally and by U.S. foundations, less than 3% are directed explicitly to people of African descent.
With issues stemming from centuries of systemic racism and gender discrimination, these women often find themselves more vulnerable to sexual violence and less likely to access the resources necessary for healing and justice.
Central to VidaAfrolatina's approach is its commitment to participatory grantmaking—a process where grant decisions are made collectively by those directly impacted. This model not only empowers Black and Afro-descendant women to shape solutions tailored to their communities, but also challenges traditional power dynamics within philanthropy. It places the decision-making authority in the hands of those with lived experience. The way it works is, each applicant organization reads and scores other applicants’ proposals. Due to this unique process, this has resulted in a more diverse cohort that represented every region of Latin America.
Here are the organizations that VidaAfrolatina selected during their pilot grant cycle:
AfroPoderosas - Costa Rica/México
Project: Empoderando Mi Cuerpo Afrodescendiente (Empowering My Afro-descendant Body)
AfroPoderosas educated rural Afro-descendant girls and young women about conscious menstruation and sexual violence risk reduction and prevention through in-person workshops.
La COMADRE – Colombia
Project: Sensibilización sobre la Violencia Sexual vivida por Mujeres Negras Afrodescendientes, través de la Animación Digital (Raising Awareness about Sexual Violence Experienced by Afro-descendant Black Women through Digital Animation)
La COMADRE produced digital animated short films telling stories of Black women raped in the context of the country’s civil conflict as a pedagogical tool and a healing process.
Colectivo Ilé – Puerto Rico
Project: Talleres contra la Violencia Sexual: Raza y Género (Workshops Against Sexual Violence: Race and Gender)
Colectivo Ilé increased awareness about the intersection of race and gender and its impact on sexual violence through virtual workshops centering Black women who are HIV positive, deaf, trans and who have functional diversity.
Revista Afirmativa - Coletiva de Mídia Negra – Brazil
Project: Jornalismo de “escrevivência”: Narrativas de mulheres negras pelo enfrentamento a violência sexual (Escrevivencia Journalism: Narratives of Black Women Confronting Sexual Violence)
Revista Afirmativa held a call for contributors and selected several professional journalists to produce a multimedia series of reports examining sexual violence and toxic masculinity.
Moreover, VidaAfrolatina recognizes sexual violence not merely as a gender justice issue but also as a racial justice issue. The historical legacy of colonialism and slavery continues to cast a long shadow, perpetuating cycles of violence and marginalization that disproportionately affect Black and Afro-descendant women. By addressing the intersectionality of race and gender, VidaAfrolatina endeavors to dismantle the structural barriers that perpetuate sexual violence and amplify the resilience and leadership of Black women.
Crucially, VidaAfrolatina operates in a landscape where resources for Black and Afro-descendant women's organizations are scarce. Despite comprising a significant portion of Latin America's population, these communities receive a minuscule fraction of philanthropic funding directed towards human rights and gender-based violence initiatives. VidaAfrolatina fills this void, serving as a beacon of hope and support for those too often overlooked by traditional philanthropy.
In essence, VidaAfrolatina is more than a mere organization—it is a catalyst for change, a champion of equity, and a testament to the resilience and power of Black and Afro-descendant women. As we continue to strive for a world where safety and wellness are the norm for everyone, we’re proud to support VidaAfrolatina in creating a world where Black women and girls are free to flourish!
Learn More:
Get more information about VidaAfrolatina on their website.
Donate:
Support VidaAfrolatina by making a donation here.
Get Involved:
Stay up-to-date on VidaAfrolatina by following them on Instagram here.
