Empowers 1000 women in Acapulco after hurricanes

"True recovery happens when people once again feel part of a community that listens to them, values them, and walks alongside them."

Thanks to your trust and generosity, we continue strengthening the emotional recovery processes of women affected by Hurricanes Otis and John. During this phase, we placed special attention on older women living in rural communities, who face unique challenges related to isolation, accumulated losses, and limited access to support services.

Strengthening the Emotional Well-Being of Rural Women

During this reporting period, we conducted additional group therapy and self-care sessions focused primarily on older women in rural areas. These spaces provided opportunities to address emotions related to grief, uncertainty, anxiety, and the prolonged stress that often remains long after a disaster has passed.

Beyond emotional support, these sessions have become spaces for connection where participants rebuild confidence, strengthen support networks, and recognize the value of their knowledge and life experiences in community recovery efforts.

Women shared stories of resilience, strategies for coping with daily challenges, and ways to support one another, reaffirming that recovery becomes stronger when it is built collectively.

Caring for Those Who Care

Recognizing that community well-being also depends on the well-being of those who provide support, we held an in-person emotional wellness session for members of our organization's team.

This space allowed staff to reflect on the challenges of supporting recovery processes after a major disaster while strengthening self-care practices, emotional management skills, and strategies to prevent burnout associated with long-term community work.

Investing in staff well-being strengthens our institutional capacity to provide compassionate, high-quality, and sustainable support over time.

Key Achievements During This Period

• Conducted group therapy and self-care sessions with rural women, primarily older women.
• Strengthened community-based emotional support networks among women.
• Held an in-person emotional support session for members of the organization's team.
• Expanded safe spaces for listening, trust-building, and community solidarity.

What We Are Learning

Our experience continues to confirm that emotional recovery remains a critical need long after the immediate emergency has passed. It also highlights the essential role that older women play as guardians of memory, social cohesion, and community resilience.

Looking Ahead

We will continue strengthening emotional well-being, leadership development, and economic empowerment initiatives so that more women can access the tools they need to face future challenges with greater confidence, autonomy, and security.

Thank You for Making This Possible

Your support continues to transform lives. Every listening circle, every community gathering, and every support process contributes to helping women in Acapulco recover not only their well-being, but also their confidence in their ability to build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Because when a woman regains her well-being, an entire community finds new reasons to move forward.

“Rebuilding is not just about putting up walls, it's about restoring the inner strength that sustains a community.”

In this third stage of the project, we have deepened the psychosocial support that began after hurricanes Otis and John, strengthening both the women in rural communities and the team that supports this process in the field.

Group therapy in rural areas: shared resilience

During this period, new group self-care therapy sessions were held in rural communities, consolidating safe spaces where women continue to work on managing post-traumatic stress, grief, anxiety, and rebuilding their lives.

These sessions have made it possible to:

Strengthen collective trust and emotional support among women.

Identify emerging community leaders.

Consolidate local mutual support networks that transcend formal sessions.

Participants have expressed that these spaces not only help them heal, but also regain their voice and sense of territorial belonging. In contexts where precariousness persists, group therapy has become a concrete tool for community reconstruction.

Caring for those who care: strengthening the team

Understanding that the sustainability of the impact requires emotionally strengthened teams, a face-to-face therapy process was carried out for members of the association's team, who have been on the front line since the emergency began.

This space allowed them to:

Process the emotional exhaustion accumulated after months of crisis response.

Prevent compassion fatigue syndrome and extreme exhaustion.

Reaffirm institutional commitment through self-care and the ethics of collective care.

Investing in the well-being of the team is not an additional operating expense; it is a strategic decision to ensure quality, ethical, and sustainable interventions over time.

Key advances in this stage

Continuation of group therapy in affected rural communities.

Consolidation of community networks of emotional support among women.

Specialized in-person therapy for the organization's operational team.

Institutional strengthening to ensure sustained and responsible support.

Lessons learned

We have confirmed that post-disaster recovery is neither linear nor brief. It requires perseverance, presence, and comprehensive care. We also learned that the well-being of the team is inseparable from the well-being of the communities we support.

Conclusion

Thanks to your continued support, the project not only accompanies the emotional recovery of women, but is also building solid foundations for sustainable resilience.

The women of Acapulco are transforming pain into community leadership. And the team that accompanies them is strengthened to continue walking alongside them.

When we support women and those who accompany them, we support the future of the entire community.