Memorial Fund launches fundraising campaign to support non-profit organizations that provide protective services to women victims of violence.
In order to contribute to social initiatives that protect women victims of violence, and at a time when this terrible evil has intensified on the island, the fundraising campaign of the Shonali Choudhury Fund, established in the Puerto Rico Community Foundation (FCPR).
Since 2015, Dr. Shonali Choudhury's memory has inspired donations that have supported local nonprofits dedicated to ensuring women's rights, particularly those that protect women from violence and provide educational programs on how to protect themselves.
Shonali's mother, Barbara Southard - a retired professor from the Department of History at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) - established the Shonali Choudhury Fund as a way to perpetuate her legacy after her death from a brain tumor. Shonali, who was born and raised in San Juan, was noted for conducting qualitative research on sex workers in Tijuana, Mexico and for the feminist orientation of the public health courses she taught as a professor at the University of Miami. Shonali had a penchant for causes that addressed the disparities and disadvantages faced by women. She did not promote charity, but rather the empowerment of disadvantaged people.
“The creation of the Fund has allowed me to honor the legacy of my beloved daughter. The work of raising funds for the cause she supported has deepened my understanding of the challenges faced by women in our society, particularly in the current environment of social dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the mother mentions.
Since the establishment of the Fund, Barbara, along with a group of friends, has embarked on an annual fundraising adventure to grant funds to organizations working on her daughter's causes. The goal in 2021 is to support community organizations that will work to protect women through programs that nurture the empowerment of victims of harassment and domestic violence, and thus help prevent tragedies such as those of Andrea Ruiz Costa and Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz.
To donate, visit www.fcpr.org. In the main menu, press DONATE. Then, follow the instructions and select the Shonali Choudhury Fund when donating.
To date, the fund has awarded $26,000 in grants to organizations that offer the following services: shelter and protection, legal advice, counseling to achieve economic independence, and therapy to overcome emotional trauma, among others. The beneficiary organizations are: Casa Protegida Julia de Burgos, Centro de la Mujer Dominicana, PROMANI Inc., Hogar Ruth Albergue para Mujeres and Taller Salud.. A Fund committee, which includes representation from the FCPR, makes a rigorous evaluation of each proposal before awarding funds.
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