MADRE Statements

A Thank-You Message from Vivian Stromberg

Posted on: Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Keywords: Thank You

Dear Friends,

When the ground shook in Haiti this winter and record-breaking floods hit Pakistan this summer, I thought of you. I thought about how thankful I am that our sisters in these places—and in so many others—have your support. I felt a tremendous sense of relief knowing that I could turn to you on their behalf and you would be there, giving what you can. And you don’t just give money—though we all know how critical that is—you also give encouragement and strength to our sisters. As the women of our sister organizations make clear to me often, your support for them is so much more: it is friendship and an understanding of the needs of women.

Of course, we did not start the year planning on earthquakes and floods, or with funds earmarked to respond to the emergencies in Haiti and Pakistan. But we did respond—and we did so immediately and effectively thanks to you. Most importantly, we responded with programs that go beyond the urgent need to save lives. These programs enable women who are caught in disasters to rebuild in ways that strengthen their fight for human rights and make their communities more resilient to disasters for the long-term.

In many ways 2010 has been dominated by the terrible events in Haiti and Pakistan. But because you’ve been so steady and generous in your support, we were able to respond to these crises and still continue other crucial programs to advance women’s human rights around the
world.

Finally, I wanted to let you know that our search for MADRE’s next Executive Director is proceeding smoothly. As I’ve mentioned before, I will remain deeply involved with MADRE as e welcome new leadership and move into the future. I hope that you will, too—the women of our sister organizations are counting on us.

Sincerely,

Viv Signature-small.jpg