New COVID-19 Crowdfunding Campaign

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) threatens people’s health and economic livelihoods around the world. This is especially true in Mexico. As the UNDP recently reported, 41.9% of Mexico’s population is at or below the national poverty line; thus, it is rather unprepared to face and recover from this pandemic.

Indigenous communities in the Otomí-Tepehua region of the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, PSYDEH’s target region, are particularly vulnerable. They already experience poor access to health care, essential services, and other key preventive measures, such as clean water, soap, disinfectants, etc. Most local medical facilities in the vicinity, if any, are often poorly equipped and understaffed. And when indigenous peoples are able to access health services, they often face stigma and discrimination.

To play our part in helping local rural and indigenous communities to weather COVID-19, PSYDEH plans a new COVID-19 initiative and launched a crowdfunding campaign to help fund it. This project provides forward-looking citizen empowering work with short-term direct-assistance by supporting our nascent network of five indigenous women’s organizations with (a) trustworthy coronavirus info they share with neighbors via our ongoing information series, (b) direct food assistance to 100 families, tied to social enterprise-like investment in selling handicrafts, and (c) training on sustainable use of natural resources as food security.