Mirtha is the President of Hondurans Against AIDS/Casa Yurumein, an organization that operates in New York City, carries out work in New York but also in Central America, providing education in many health issues that includes COVID-19 epidemic, working with youth in issues such as; reproductive rights, working with PLWA providing them with technical support and empowering them to keep their support groups this work covers the countries of Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
Mirtha is also the President of the Central American Black Organization (CABO/ONECA) an organization that was created in Belize C.A. to strengthening the social, political, economic, cultural life of The Afro-Central American in the region and the Diaspora Afro- Central American, especially those living in the United States. CABO/ONECA is a founding member of the Consultative Advisor to the Central American Integration System, (SICA), this is an organization of the governments of Central America that included the Dominican Republic.
Mirtha is a founding member of Alianza Americas, an organization that represents a critical issue that impacts the lives of migrants and families not only in the United States, but in the central American region. Alianza has 50 immigrant-led organizations in 10 U.S. states.
Mirtha was born in the Garifuna Community of Trujillo, Colón Honduras Central America, migrated to New York in 1969, since then she has lived in The Bronx, worked closely not only with The Latino and Afro-Central American communities, but with all ethnic groups both in Central America and in the United States, defending human rights and social justice, seeking to improve the quality of life of these communities.
Mirtha does a lot of advocacy for humans rights, she has participated in all regional and international preparatory conferences on discrimination and racism, (Uruguay, Santiago de Chile, Geneva and the World Conference in Durban, South Africa), participated in several global forums of social justice, international forums on migration (Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Spain, Sweden) participated in several regional and global conferences on HIV/AIDS, including the African continent in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. All these conferences lead to the UN proclamation of the International Decade of The Afro Descent in 2014. Mirtha recently participated in the First International Forum of Afro descent that took place in Geneva Switzerland December 2022.
Mirtha has been co- leading research about the Garifuna History, she has attended and lead two delegations to London, invited by the University of Warwick in Warwick England. The first delegation was in 2021, the second one was in 2022. Mirtha was also invited this year in May 2023 by the University of London to present about the lives of the Garifuna people in Central America and the US.
Mirtha holds a Liberal Arts degree from Hostos Community College, Bronx NY, a bachelor’s degree in humans services from Boricua College, and a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University, she holds the following credentials “LCSW-R” credentials in New York City and State, a certificate in psychotherapy, and more than 35 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults suffering from mental health illness.
She is currently retired but continues to work as a psychotherapist with The Jewish Board of Family and Children Services.
Mirtha believes that her passion for community work is not an option, but a necessity, as she comes from a very humble family, the first one to graduate from college and graduate school.