Everest 2013 for Congo Launch Event! San Francisco

Georgina Miranda, Tracey Broadman, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado Everest 2013 Climbers

Thank you to everyone that joined us for our launch event on May 30th! Your support means so much to us! 

What a wonderful way to kick off our Everest 2013 for Congo campaign in San Francisco! Thank you to Mejita and Campari, for helping sponsor our event! What a great venue and yummy margaritas! Also special thanks to Elayne Doughty for sharing her experience working with VDAY in DRC- your words moved us all and your work is inspiring.

The aim of the event was to formally launch our Everest 2013 for Congo campaign, let folks know why we are climbing for women of Congo, and start building our community of supporters. It was a huge success and we are so grateful and excited to move forward on this incredible journey for an incredible cause!

So for those of you who were not able to be there here is a summary :)

In March 2013, Georgina Miranda will make her second attempt at scaling the world’s highest mountain, Mt. Everest, with one goal in mind of reaching the top of the world to bring support and awareness for the women of DRC.

By supporting this campaign your tax-deductible donation will go directly to V-DAY and International Medical Corps. All funds collected will be equally split by these two organizations, which are both 501(C) (3) registered. International Medical Corps' tax identification number: 95-3949646 and V-Day's tax identification number: 94-3389430. MAKE A DONATION

CLIMB TAKE ACTION’s MISSION (started in 2008): To raise $2.2 million in support for International Medical Corps and VDAY and to spread awareness about the worst sexual violence in the world in order to promote sustainable change for the women of Congo.

Why We Support Women of Congo!

Would you like to get involved with our efforts? We would love additional Support!

Thank you for learning more about why we climb! We hope you will join our efforts and support the amazing work that International Medical Corps and VDAY are doing for women in Congo!

Since founding Climb Take Action in 2008, I am constantly inspired by the strength and courage of the women of Congo and those that are working diligently to make their lives a little better. The case of sexual violence in DRC is the worst in the world. No woman should experience such violence.

Reach out to us if you would like to get involved ! We also have a few spots open for people that would like to join us for part of the Everest journey and trek to Everest Base Camp @ 17,500 ft and raise funds and awareness for the cause!

TO MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Much Love and Thanks,

Georgina

www.climbtakeaction.com

Community!

International Medical Corps Womens' Luncheon

Community is such a powerful thing. I know for me personally, my little community has been vital each time I have moved to a new city, or when I am out climbing, or with this campaign. Great things can be accomplished or overcome with a strong community indeed.


The two charities we support through Climb Take Action, International Medical Corps and VDAY, have both built some very strong communities of aid and support in DRC with locals and the people they serve, and through partnerships with other NGOs. Earlier this month I was able to attend International Medical Corps Womens’ Luncheon and learn first hand the vital role they play in communities all around the world in areas that need aid, attention, and support the most, but are areas often neglected because the operational environment is so risky. Perhaps one of the stories that struck me the most at the luncheon was the story of the Operations Director visiting one of their programs and asking the local doctor on staff what the long line of patients were waiting to be treated for that day....the doctor’s response was ‘broken hearts.’ It broke my heart to hear the story, as not only had many of these patients, experienced disaster, disease, financial loss, and loss of loved ones, but their hearts were also broken and needed treatment and healing. The work of International Medical Corps goes beyond medical relief, it also addresses psychosocial services needed to help treat the emotional component of their patients. As part of its holistic approach to health, International Medical Corps incorporates mental health and well-being into its programs to address the psychosocial needs of disaster survivors. Their work and staff is incredible and has such a vital impact in the communities they serve!!


With Climb Take Action we hope you will join our Community and together support International Medical Corps and VDAY and their wonderful work for women in Democratic Republic of Congo. Women like you, me, our sisters, our mothers, and our friends. Together we can make a difference. We can also take a stand and raise awareness about the worse case of sexual violence in the world. It is not acceptable that 48 Women are raped per hour in Congo. That is why we Climb. 


Special thanks to everyone that has contributed, climbed, and hiked with us to make a difference!! You ROCK!


Thank you for being a part of our community. If you haven’t joined us yet, please join! We also have our Launch Event for Everest 2013 in San Fran May 30th! 



FB http://www.facebook.com/ClimbTakeAction 


Visit our website! www.climbtakeaction.com


Follow Us on Twitter! https://twitter.com/#!/ClimbTakeAction




Much love,


Georgina




A little photo tribute to those that have gone the extra mile for Climb Take Action! Thank you!

San Francisco! Join us May 30th for our Everest 2013 kickoff event!

May 30th! San Francisco Launch Event!

Passion-What Would Life Be Without it?

 Time has flown by and I can’t believe that it was a year ago that I was about to go for my summit push on Everest. The trip was special and changed my life for many reasons but looking back I realize that it was so unique because it was so full of PASSION! For two months all I got to do was focus and enjoy something I was so extremely PASSIONATE about and had worked so hard to be able to do! It was three years in the making. Although some days I was freezing, gasping for air, or more exhausted than I had ever been in my life-MAN I LOVED EVERY MINTUE OF IT! I was in an environment unlike any other, surrounded by some extraordinary people, pushing my mind and body in ways I had never done before, I was LIVING IT UP, in every sense of the phrase.  A lot of people have called me crazy for going to Everest in the first place and even crazier for planning to go back next year. All I can say to that is that just the thought of being there again, seeing those mountains, pushing my body to its limit, experiencing nature at its most exquisite and its fiercest-It is a MAGICAL thing! I CANNOT WAIT!

It was so hard for me to come back last year, not only because of the failed summit attempt due to hypoxia, but because it was hard to fit back into the norm once home. All I wanted to do was find ways to replicate that thrill, that PASSION, in everything I did. Easier said than done! Since then it has changed my mindset about trying to now craft a lifestyle built around working and doing things I am passionate about. I have found it difficult to get involved or do things I do not care about. Hence I am trying to start my own business, continue to fundraise for women in the Congo, do things that bring a smile to my face, surround myself with love, and start taking necessary steps to try to bring as much PASSION into my daily life as possible. It is a beautiful thing and feeling to have PASSION whether from what you are doing, from another person, or for going out to seize the day.

Climbing has changed my life and open my eyes to a world I never knew existed, it has pushed me past personal boundaries, made me expect more of myself, made me more grateful for life, more appreciative of the beauty and miracle that is our universe, introduced me to some of the most amazing and inspiring people and dearest friends, allowed me to speak and raise awareness for a topic I am extremely PASSIONATE about- Empowering Women. I LOVE IT! I love being outside and enjoying our world…it is a privilege.

The thrill and rush of adventure as many adventurers know can become addictive, and so I try to fit in as much as I can within my means for sure. Whether it’s a simple hike, bike ride, ski trip, etc there is so much fun it can bring and fulfillment. 

Lately I have been reflecting so much on PASSION and what it means in my life. Right now it is setting which direction I am going to go. Whether at work, in love, in friendships, in my day to day, if there is no PASSION involved then it’s probably a good sign it’s not for me. Pursuing this lifestyle then comes with lots of compromise and also sacrifice I have learned, as it is not an easy path, but I think it will be totally worth it in the end.

I will forever be grateful to Eve Ensler’s article in Glamour I read back in 2007 that moved me so much to launch me on this journey to help Women of Congo. It was that article that made me pull the trigger on climbing seriously by creating Climb Take Action dedicated to raising awareness and support for victims of sexual violence in Congo-the worst in the world. I strongly believe that life does not happen by chance. For every experience, encounter, meeting, there is a reason.  I also believe good things don’t tend to come easy.

The next 11 months are going to be full of training, planning, and fundraising for Women of Congo (International Medical Corps and VDAY)! I am so incredibly excited and even more so as I will have two extraordinary ladies, Silvia and Tracey, joining me on the climb up the Big E! Counting down to that flight to Lukla!! The juggling act continues :)


Here is to living with PASSION! It is magical and can move mountains!

To support our efforts for Women in Congo please visit: http://climbtakeaction.com/page/donate-now (ALL Proceeds benefit International Medical Corps and VDAY and are Tax-Deductible)

xo

G

My speech to 500 young women at Immaculate Heart High School was a success! They inspire me to keep CLIMBING! :)

With the President from IH

I had the pleasure of being invited to be the key note speaker at my high school alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School in Hollywood, CA to share some insights on life, career, and vision and of course share more on Everest and my efforts for women in Congo. As I kicked of my “You Can Be Whatever You Want To Be” talk, I looked around the room and I thought what a fortunate group of ladies we are! After traveling to so many parts of the world and also keeping the women of DRC in mind, education is a true gift and blessing that so many young women around the globe do not have the luxury of receiving.  I was instantly energized by the potential in the room…these 500 freshman-senior ladies were our future.  As a result of that light bulb moment so to speak, I kicked off with telling them that the great news about where they are today is that they have the freedom to decide, to dream, to do, to be whatever they wanted to be and that it was a beautiful thing. 


It was a special moment for me to be able to talk about my life, my choices, my mistakes, my successes, and my own dreams, all in hopes of inspiring these young women to dream big and go after it! It was great to hear from those that thought they knew exactly what they wanted to do with their lives upon graduation and also hear from those that were still figuring it out. I enjoyed sharing my vision statement for my life at 18 while I was there at Immaculate Heart and my vision statement for myself now at 31 and a professional  Life has taken some interesting turns. The passion for helping others has not changed. The most rewarding part of being able to talk to these girls was at the end, when a few of them came up one by one and shared their stories and dreams with me and thanked them for giving them some good ideas and pointers. It was also interesting to see their reaction when learning more about the issues young women just like them are facing in DRC (rape, unwanted pregnancies, HIV, malnutrition, war). I encouraged them that throughout their life to always remember their fellow women and to help each other along the way. I know that the feeling to want to empower less fortunate women has been in me since my high school days and is still going strong. 


I am a firm believer that women hold the key to successful communities. So many studies have been conducted to reiterate the fact that communities thrive when women and girls can participate in the workforce, are educated, and empowered.


Thank you Immaculate Heart for letting me share my story and thank you to all the young women there for inspiring me to continue my mission of empowering women of DRC through my Climb Take Action campaign. Thank you to the women of Congo, whose strength and courage has been my endless source of inspiration since the campaign began in 2007.


I leave you with a great article from Forbes:  Does Empowering Women Improve the Economy? 
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mahaatal/2012/03/30/does-empowering-women-improve-the-economy/


To get involved with our efforts for women in Congo, please visit: www.climbtakeaction.com




Much Love,


Georgina

Thank you Dokument Films and Ning!

Thank you to Dokument Films for creating this piece for Climb Take Action and our efforts

for women in Congo! Thanks to Ning our web sponsor!

Everest 2013...we are getting ready for you!

NING presents Climb Take Action from Dokument Films on Vimeo.

Updates! What is to come for 2012!

Dear Friends,

Well 2012 is in full force! How is it February?!?

So sorry it has been so long! Life has thrown around a few hard knocks for me since my return from Everest and life is finally getting itself to a more normal pace :) I have lived in three cities in the past 6 months and will for now be calling Los Angeles home again.

I have decided to return to Everest in 2013 for the cause along with a few other climbers. More details to come shortly, but we are very excited to launch our campaign again and climb for the women of DRC!!

International Medical Corps and VDAY continue to do great work in Democratic Republic of Congo. Below is a great story that provides an example of the change and support that can come when organizations such as these have support! I hope you will all continue to support our efforts.

VDAY: http://drc.vday.org/city-of-joy-celebrates-first-graduating-class

On January 28, V-Day and the Fondation Panzi (DRC) celebrated the first graduating class of City of Joy in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). City of Joy, a revolutionary community for women survivors of gender violence, opened its doors to the pilot class of 41 women this summer. V-Day Founder/Artistic Director Eve Ensler, Executive Director Susan Swan, Communications & Campaigns Manager Kate Fisher, photographer and long time V-Activist Paula Allen, and a delegation of incredible visionaries including V-Board members Pat Mitchell, Emily Scott Pottruck, and Amy Rao, and supporters Lauren Davis, Frannie Kieschnick, Belinda Munoz, Andrew Dew Steele, Erin Strain, and Marsha Williams all were welcomed at City of Joy to witness and celebrate the graduation ceremony of this first incredible class. Eve has written a note to all of you about the miracles that were witnessed at the graduation, please read: http://drc.vday.org/city-of-joy-celebrates-first-graduating-class

If you would like to get involved with our efforts, please contact me.

More to come and thank you for your ongoing support!

Georgina