Kaya Gonzalez & Áureas Mx
Kaya González is a communications expert and cultural manager dedicated to advancing equity and justice. She serves as the Sociocultural Manager of Àureas MX, a grassroots organization supporting migrant women along the U.S.-Mexico border through services in menstrual and sexual health, economic empowerment, and integration.
With our Giving Joy microgrant, Àureas MX distributed 70 menstrual health kits—50 at a women’s support center in a migration station and 20 through street outreach—each including reusable pads, soap, toilet paper, and an informational brochure on menstrual health and sexual and reproductive rights. As part of their “Tejiendo Autonomía” (Weaving Autonomy) methodology, they also delivered two menstrual health talks for adolescent and refugee women.
Àureas MX led six technical training workshops in artisanal cosmetics for refugee women, teaching participants how to make products such as body mist, antibacterial soap, disinfectant gel, and glycerin soap as a pathway to economic autonomy. Each session also included safe-space activities and dialogue circles that promoted integration, peaceful coexistence, and intercultural understanding—strengthening participants’ confidence and autonomy.
In addition, Àureas MX maintained an active virtual support line offering guidance on sexual health, STI prevention, and referrals to psychosocial support.
These activities directly benefited an estimated 80 women—10 through cosmetics workshops, 20 through menstrual health talks, and 50 through kit distribution—and indirectly reached 100+ additional women through the virtual support line and extended family and community networks. Participants gained both technical and emotional skills; one woman shared, “This year we are organizing a group that will continue working to grow the entrepreneurship projects.”
For Àureas MX, the grant helped consolidate its intervention model, strengthen partnerships with four local organizations (FMA, NicasMex, UNHCR, and Abrazo Intercultural), and contributed to their selection for additional support from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to scale the project.
In early 2026, Àureas MX plans to enter the production phase for “Golondrina” products, develop pricing and marketing strategies, strengthen partnerships with local health and legal services, and monitor the economic impact on participants. A key lesson from this work is that combining technical training, psychosocial support, and community-building is essential for sustainable autonomy. Moving forward, the organization aims to incorporate more peer mentoring and establish a post-workshop follow-up system so women can continue growing their productive projects with ongoing support and solidarity.
