Mónica Santiago Peña is a 27-year-old Mixtec woman from Oaxaca. She is the beneficiary of a variety of services from GESMujer, a Pangea partner since 2015. GESMujer aims to transform society into one that is more equitable and just to women in both indigenous and urban communities. They are one of three current Pangea partners that a group of members will visit in the next week during our site visit to Oaxaca, Mexico. Read Monica's story of of transforming from a life of depression and self-depreciation to one of an empowered woman, mother, daughter and educator. Despite having a fruitful...[ Read More ]

We are very excited to share our 2018 Impact Report. The report documents the incredible power a small group of people can make with their resources through grant giving and the always impressive work of our partners. Special thanks to intern Elan Wong for compiling the report. Download the PDF

In Kisiwa, where Ufanisi Women’s Group operates, 1 in 5 teens is a mother or expecting her first baby. By the time Mercy Namukuru was 15 years old, she was married and had a daughter. Mercy’s education was a low priority since girls in Kisiwa are too often pushed to get married before they turn 18 years of age.  Mercy owns a small maize farm and would previously skip working on her farm during menstruation periods due to a lack of access to pads and funds to purchase these expensive disposable items. Mercy at her small maize farm Before Ufanisi's...[ Read More ]

On the evening of April 7th, the Pangea Giving community gathered to celebrate another successful year of grant-making. The Mount Baker Community Club provided a lovely venue for members and friends to reconnect over glasses of Washington wine and dishes of Syrian appetizers. In keeping with Pangea's concern for immigrants and displaced people, the event was catered by Project Feast, a local non-profit that provides pathways for refugees and immigrants to careers in the food industry. Board President Maryann Ness and Treasurer Mary Williamson reviewed 2018 and looked ahead to what 2019 will bring. Many of these details are reviewed...[ Read More ]

Sarah* is one of a dozen children in her family in Namagera village, Jinja district, Uganda. At 16 years old, she dropped out of school because her family lacked funds and the government-aided free secondary school was too far away from her house to walk. When a local organization announced a scholarship program in her village, she promptly interviewed and impressively landed the scholarship. However, six months into the scholarship program, Sarah became pregnant and dropped out of school. After having the baby, Sarah could not re-enroll in secondary school because she had no one to care for her child...[ Read More ]

Until I was invited to participate in Community Advocates Program, I didn’t communicate with anyone, much less have any leadership, considering we women barely have the chance to participate in meetings or any public spaces. It was difficult for me to speak up or express my opinion, as I was afraid others would tell me that I was wrong, but little by little I began to change. And now I’m no longer afraid to express myself. I’ve learned how I can share information with my community so that more women can become leaders and make decisions in the community. This...[ Read More ]

Women Peace Makers engages young people throughout Cambodia with on-site trainings and social media campaigns as part of its Gender and Peace Leadership Program. The program equips these young people with mediation and leadership training to promote peacebuilding and gender equality in their communities. Soeung C. Chhayheng is a 25 year old from Pursat Province who participated in the program. I used to be confused with the term gender as well as the definition of sex. I thought that gender meant elevating a girl’s rights or any type of activity where to allow women to get more opportunities than men....[ Read More ]