W.K. Kellogg Foundation

In April, midwives and traditional birth workers from across the Americas, as well as allies from Nepal, Australia and Kenya, convened in New York City ahead of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). Organized by WKKF grantees and partner organizations in the Nich Ixim Midwives Movement of Chiapas, Mexico, the gathering emphasized a powerful message: “The future is ancestral.” Facing discrimination and criminalization, these practitioners discussed challenges and ultimately presented common demands at the UN forum itself, advocating for the recognition of traditional health systems, accountability measures and the creation of a permanent committee on traditional midwifery. Nich Ixim is making significant strides in Chiapas and across Mexico, leading to legislative support and collaboration with public health institutions. Learn more about this exciting movement: https://wkkf.co/lshd Hace unos meses, en una sala repleta de voces de esperanza y determinación, parteras de las Américas se encontraron en Nueva York. Venían de lugares tan distantes como Chile y Alaska, unidas por una misión común. Bajo el lema “El futuro es ancestral”, estas guardianas de la vida discutieron cómo sus prácticas, aunque tradicionales, enfrentan discriminación y criminalización. En medio de esta reunión histórica, surgieron cinco demandas que resonaron con fuerza: 1. Reconocimiento de los sistemas de salud tradicionales. 2. Eliminación de barreras para transmitir conocimientos ancestrales. 3. Derecho a revisar y modificar protocolos de la OMS. 4. Medidas de rendición de cuentas en salud indígena. 5. Creación de un comité permanente sobre partería tradicional en el Foro Permanente de la ONU. Estas voces unidas en Nueva York no solo contaron historias de lucha, sino que también delinearon un camino hacia un futuro más justo y respetuoso con las tradiciones ancestrales. https://wkkf.co/aoce International Funders for Indigenous Peoples Foundation for Advancement of Haitian Midwives, Inc

Congratulations to WKKF grantee Anseye Pou Ayiti for winning the 2024 McNulty Prize! They are recognized for building a new model of civic leadership and community transformation that embraces Haitian identity.

Mississippi is making significant strides toward health equity, as highlighted by Vangela M. Wade, president and CEO of the Mississippi Center For Justice, in a recent op-ed. Despite the state’s dire health outcomes due to inaccessible care and coverage, there is hope on the horizon. This year, both the state House and Senate made serious attempts to expand Medicaid coverage, potentially benefiting 123,000 Mississippians caught in the coverage gap. While the expansion has yet to succeed, the progress and continued advocacy efforts promise better health outcomes and a brighter future for all Mississippians. https://wkkf.co/asfe

WATCH: Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha explains how #RxKids, a #guaranteedincome program for pregnant parents & their newborns in Flint, MI, can be replicated in other communities using TANF funds. Check out her full discussion from our #GINow conference alongside Melissa Harris-Perry here: https://lnkd.in/gQFfxfVE

"I wish more big bet funding opportunities out there [made] planning grants or designed grants available for finalists." Us too! 🤗 Learn all about how Partners In Development Foundation and Namati each received $1 million planning grant (along with all other finalists) to apply for the Racial Equity 2030 grant challenge, which is one of the largest and longest since Lever for Change was established in 2019. The journey from making their proposals to being named finalists—arduous as it was—also was illuminating and rewarding. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eY5qBD_R

Vientos Culturales produces a Mexican television show that gives children a platform to express themselves. In parts of the Chiapas Highlands, they also saw the need for youth engagement to address an urgent issue. Learn about how they are addressing the scourge of suicide: https://wkkf.co/delr En México, Vientos Culturales produce un programa de televisión que brinda a los niños una plataforma de expresión. En algunas regiones de los Altos de Chiapas, también vieron la necesidad de involucrar a los jóvenes para abordar un tema urgente: el suicidio. Conozca más aquí: https://wkkf.co/jefa

"While we need relationships across all spaces, having an affinity to someone that understands you and supports you, and having that solidarity was critical in the journey of understanding how to build trusting relationships across races. Together what we hope is that we can see the inequities and address those inequities together and begin to start rebuilding structures that work for all of us. That is the work of healing, it’s about transformation." - La June Montgomery Tabron Trusting relationships are powerful. They begin within each of us, nurtured by those who share our experiences and grow from positive connections with people who may walk a different path in life. This is the work of racial healing—it's about transformation. Check out Healing from the Inside Out: Transforming Ourselves and Our World: https://wkkf.co/e24w #HowWeHeal

In Michigan, Black babies are three times more likely to die within their first year than White babies, and Black women are nearly twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation supports the Day One Doula Collective in Grand Rapids, an initiative addressing these disparities by recruiting, training and supporting community-based doulas. Doulas offer culturally affirming care, providing emotional, educational and physical support to birthing parents. This initiative is essential for building a birth support network that improves health outcomes for Black mothers and babies. Learn more about this transformative work and the impact of Medicaid coverage for doula services. https://wkkf.co/loef

When Michigan Good Food Fund began in 2015, this statewide lending network prioritized investing in entrepreneurs who were providing healthy food to their communities. Since then, the collective has refined their definition of “good food” — that is, food and farm businesses supporting their communities by creating fairwage jobs and contributing to a more resilient and inclusive local food system in Michigan. What does that mean for food & farm entrepreneurs? If you’ve reached out to Michigan Good Food Fund in the past (or if you haven’t!), it might be time to reach out again. Check out their new website at: https://wkkf.co/kief

In the afterglow of ESSENCE festival 2024, we’re remembering when former Haitian Prime Minister Michèle Pierre-Louis, FOKAL, spoke there about “pockets of hope” in her country. Today, #HaitiPocketsOfHope is a growing movement to increase investment in local-led organizations building a brighter future for Haiti. To learn more about Haitian organizations leading positive change, visit haitipocketsofhope.com. Apre ESSENCE festival 2024, n ap sonje lè ansyen Premye Minis ayisyen Michèle Pierre-Louis,FOKAL, te pale la a de "pockets of hope" nan peyi l. Jodi a, #HaitiPocketsofHope se yon mouvman k ap grandi pou ogmante envestisman nan òganizasyon lokal k ap bati yon pi bèl avni pou Ayiti. Pou aprann plis sou òganizasyon ayisyen kap gide chanjman pozitif, vizite haitipocketsofhope.com