The shared plate recipient for January 2026 is Women Rising International. Co-founded by Elise Young, a former Director of Religious Exploration at UUCMP and Andrea M. Bertone, PhD. Women Rising International is a global network of development professionals united by a commitment to reimagine how international development is done. They advance equity-driven models of partnership, mentorship, and financing that shift power and resources more directly to women-led and youth-led organizations and social enterprises, their families and communities.
Their mission is to partner with women-led and youth-led organizations and social enterprises across Africa — cocreating, resourcing, and amplifying locally-led solutions that advance education, health, food security, and economic power. They envision a world where women and youth have the power and resources they need to achieve meaningful, lasting, community-driven change.
Their approach ensures that women, girls, and their families have equitable access to quality health care across all life stages. We seek to strengthen community health systems to deliver essential maternal and child health services, safe childbirth, and vital vaccines, while expanding access to reproductive health care and information. Working with women-led local partners, we seek to bring mobile and community-based services to underserved areas and promote health education, prevention, and early intervention.
They also advocate for integrated services for survivors of gender-based violence and expand access to HIV and STI prevention, care, and treatment. Our approach is grounded in dignity, inclusion, and women’s leadership—creating safe, stigma-free spaces where women can seek care and advocate for their health and rights.
Through partnerships with strong, women-led organizations, Women Rising strengthens local food systems by supporting smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and women entrepreneurs in agriculture and food processing.
The organization promotes climate-resilient farming practices, community gardens, reseeding land, equitable access to markets and finance, and community savings groups that enable investment in local production. By investing in local capacity and equitable food systems, Women Rising advances communities’ ability to achieve lasting food security and better nutrition for all.
Elise Young will be at UUCMP the weekend of January 17 and 18 to speak from the podium and meet with those interested in hearing more about this valuable work.
कृपया इस योग्य संगठन को उदारतापूर्वक दान दें।