Nelly Tobon is a Make the Road NV member who works to empower women in our community. Learn more about her below.
How did you first get involved with Make the Road?
“I was looking for spaces in the community where I could participate. My husband and I have a club called Migrantes de Uruapan where we do cultural activities and little by little we have become more involved in activism, we can bring entertainment, do festivals, or organize dances and it is beautiful to be able to maintain our traditions. We still lack many things in the community, this is one of the reasons I have become involved with Make the Road Nevada. I started in Make the Road by attending the committee, Familias Unidas”.
What is Metamorphosis?
“It is a conference that empowers women who seek gender equality as well as a little bit of feminism intertwined with the community as not being individual matters but being intertwined”.
What are other topics that interest you and help you empower other women?
“I have also studied the energy of the female body, how to use the energy of the uterus every day, how to work with the heart, and how they work together to make us better. I also worked with a teacher, Miranda Gray, she has an event called the Blessing of the Uterus and she also has written books and has loads of information. I brought her to Las Vegas to give a workshop and she has always been in this movement as well. Lately, I have also been working on Mental Health and all that encompasses. I started this for myself because when I came to live in the United States I was depressed. I also had anxiety due to being new to this country and new to the language. Since I have my own experiences, I was able to walk into these spaces with experience and knowledge. This is one of the first things I would like to share with the community. I experienced it and so have many others”.
As an immigrant woman, what would you recommend that other immigrant women do to help with these stressful times and other instances of difficulty experienced by immigrant women?
“First of all, find a support network, whether it is relatives, having friends or/and acquaintances who can support you, who you can call and ask them for advice. It is helpful for example when they can take care of your children for an hour or so, so that you can go out for an appointment, or do whatever chores you may need to do that day. The thing you need first is a support network. My second advice is to make the effort to adapt to this country; learn to speak English, get a driver’s license, try to, little by little, be integrating into society as a good person. My third advice would be to get involved in the community, maybe not to become a full-time activist, but if it is to see what happens, what groups there are, what organizations are working for the community, and also get to know the people.
Do you have anything else you would like to express?
I have always felt welcome at Make the Road, I love the meetings and miss them, being in person with everyone, and I have always felt supported and at ease, as I am always learning and hopefully I will always stay involved so that the organization continues to grow and as we reach more and more people.
