Remembering Our Dear Friend Veronica Buch

We are grieving the loss of an amazing leader, friend, activist, colleague, and light. Over the 15 years we knew her, Veronica Buch had a deep and unwavering belief in girls – both in the potential of individual girls to rise above their own challenges and in the power of girls together as a collective force for change.

Veronica joined Rise Up in 2009 as part of the very first cohort of leaders from Guatemala, and she became Rise Up’s Guatemala Country Representative in 2013. Veronica facilitated Rise Up’s network of leaders in Guatemala and provided critical technical support for all Guatemala grantees. She was committed to working with indigenous women and girls.

Among her many accomplishments, Veronica mobilized girls, women, and their allies to create a more just and equitable country for girls and women, including successfully advocating to ban child marriage in Guatemala and protecting the rights of millions of girls.

Veronica was a beloved member of the Rise Up team and an inspiration to many, including her two daughters. You can donate to directly support Veronica’s family in this difficult time through this GoFundMe page and we will send the funds to her family.

Rise Up team members shared their loving reflections on Veronica and the legacy she leaves behind.

"Vero was not only an amazing mom to her own beautiful daughters, but also a fierce and loving mother figure for so many girls in Guatemala – caring for them, believing in them, supporting them, fighting for them, and advocating with them. With her quiet strength, persistence, and courage, she brought love and joy to the girls of Guatemala, helping us all believe that a better future is possible." —Dr. Denise Dunning, Founder & Executive Director

"Working with her was a privilege, as her experience and passion for equity and the rights of girls and women were always evident in everything she did. I admired her integrity and her commitment to justice, and she was a true role model as an advocate for girls' rights, as a friend, colleague and as a human being.The legacy she leaves behind is a powerful reminder that our work matters and that we must continue to fight for a more just and equitable world for all." —Patzia Martinez, Project Manager

"Dear friend! Life allowed us to coincide in this world, which began with an opportunity for professional and work growth for 14 years, transcended into a beautiful friendship: we traveled, laughed, cried, shared anxieties and fears and above all, we dreamed and longed for a different world for girls and a better environment for our daughters. Today with tears in my eyes I tell you Goodbye Vero rest in peace!" —Juany Garcia, Country Consultant, Guatemala

"We say goodbye to a great friend, sister and colleague in the fight for girls' rights. With great resignation we face deep and permanent pain. Thank you Veronica for so many memories and lessons learned, projects imagined together and shared dreams... We lose you today but with the hope of seeing other incredible leaders, like your own daughters, follow your own footsteps." —Claudia L. Romeu, Associate Director or Programs

"Vero was light and strength. Her words were always timely and wise, her conviction of having a better country was in the leadership and commitment of the girls she accompanied and of whom she was a mentor. Vero believed in personal commitment as the key to impacting other people's lives. Her struggle and activism will continue to be present in the lives of many girls, adolescents, and women. Her smile will be eternal!" —Emerita Valdez, Country Consultant, Honduras

"Vero was a fair and generous woman in her actions and a professional in her way of fighting for girls and adolescents. She was fun, supportive and had a unique ability to say what was necessary at the right time. Her legacy transcends with her, inhabits me and strongly commits me to continue it. She was a great life teacher!" —Fabiola Rivera Rojas, Country Consultant, Mexico

"Rest in Power Vero, we will remember you as a true champion for a just and equitable world. Your smile, exceptional leadership, and resilience will forever be imprinted in my memory. May your legacy live on forever!" — Lindelwe Mapurisa, South Africa Project Coordinator

"Vero brought the energy of wisdom into the spaces where we interacted. She had the perfect mix of kindness, softness, and confidence. It was noticeable how deeply she cared and believed in the power of her work with girls. Her passion for gender equity and justice will live in every person who had the fortune to know her." —Dominique Sierra Romero, Team Culture and Diversity Manager

"It is absolutely heart-breaking and shocking to even know that Vero is no more! Her unwavering commitment and unparalleled ability to activate young girls will stay as her legacy. She rests in Power and Peace!" —Vidhu Prabha, Country Lead, India

"When I think about Vero, I think of a bright and steady light. Fourteen years ago, she shone especially bright when she spoke about her work with indigenous women in her community with such passion and conviction that it was clear to me that we had to select her as part of our first cohort of leaders in Guatemala. She shared her light so fully and completely that it burns bright still in our vision and through our hands as we take up the work that she championed. We join her close community and family as we mourn her loss and miss her warmth, her friendship, and her profound goodness even as her light continues to shine bright in the world." —Josie Ramos, Director of Learning

With gratitude,

The Rise Up Team

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Queridos amigos y amigas,

Estamos de duelo por la pérdida de una increíble líder, amiga, activista, colega y luz. Durante los 15 años que la conocimos, Verónica Buch tenía una creencia profunda e inquebrantable en las niñas, tanto en el potencial de las niñas individualmente para superar sus propios desafíos como en el poder de las niñas juntas como una fuerza colectiva para el cambio.

Verónica se unió a Rise Up en 2009 como parte de la primera cohorte de líderes de Guatemala, y se convirtió en representante de país de Rise Up en Guatemala en 2013. Verónica supervisó la red de líderes de Rise Up en Guatemala y brindó apoyo técnico fundamental para todas y todos los líderes de Rise Up de Guatemala. Estaba comprometida a trabajar con mujeres y niñas indígenas.

Entre sus muchos logros, Verónica movilizó a niñas, mujeres y sus aliados para crear un país más justo y equitativo para niñas y mujeres, incluida la incidencia exitosa que llevó a la prohibición del matrimonio infantil en Guatemala.

Verónica era una querida integrante del equipo de Rise Up y una inspiración para muchos, incluidas sus dos hijas.

Puedes hacer una donación para apoyar directamente a la familia de Verónica en este momento difícil a través de este pagina. Recogeremos los fondos y los enviaremos a la familia de Verónica.

Con gratitud,

El equipo de Rise Up/ Levantemos