Luisa Fernanda Alarcón Criales.
Fundación Red de Mujeres Warmi Yuma.
San Agustín, Colombia.
I am writing this post still within NYU facilities. My flight is booked for July 4th, so I do not have beautiful pictures of the wonders off in San Agustín. But I would like to transmit some of the intangible connections I have made with this group of powerful women still in distance.
Previously, I was invited to speak at a radio show that is listened to by women located predominantly in the urban area. I decided to share with them a moment of pause, and breathing. I invited them to take a closer look around, and to pay attention to the little and significant moments of daily resistance. Some of them send me messages of gratitude, others said: I listened. But most of them asked why didn’t I introduce myself as a Warmi Yuma.
As of Yesterday, Carolina made the first payment on my behalf for the rent of July, insisting that I will give her back the money once I am with them located safely in my temporary home. Willingly, they have all been looking for a good place where I could stay, and openly they have put into thought transportation, accommodation, distance, and safety.
As we are getting ready to vote for President this Sunday June 19th, the efforts to mobilize to people to the polls has been shoulder to shoulder between us. They are thinking on the people that may not vote due to the lack of access to transportation. Here in the US, I am mainly thinking on the amount of people that may not know, that even at distance, we can also perform our right, despite the legal conditions in the US.
Messages back and forth have been popping out my WhatsApp, as we try to come together at a mutual aid strategy. Daily, we check in, we organize and facilitate within our limitations to continue working together.
I cannot wait to be there to hug in gratitude and to embrace into the power of community building.