Honoring Our Leader in Kapwa, Michael Caga-anan Aguhar
The AFIRE community grieves deeply the loss of our beloved leader and dear friend, Michael Caga-anan Aguhar. Michael died on Friday, February 20, after a sudden medical emergency. Our hearts are with Michael’s family, especially his partner, Irina, and their child, Zoya.
Michael was deeply connected to organizing and movement work here in Chicago, and the significance of his legacy is still vividly felt at AFIRE. Michael has been a part of the AFIRE community since the early 2010s, and he held several roles at the organization, including Staff Attorney and Deputy Director. His leadership was especially prominent during his tenure as Executive Director from 2015-2019. Michael fully embodied his values and built genuine and caring relationships with so many of us. He showed up in so many memorable ways, from rallying large crowds at direct actions and guiding small groups as a skilled, yet humble facilitator, to being the first person to offer someone a ride home after an event. Even after his time on staff at AFIRE, Michael continued to be a thought partner and strong supporter of our work, mission, and growth, including participation in projects like Alon, which sought to break harmful cycles related to mental health, and attending member meetings even while on sabbatical.
We will truly miss his calm yet kinetic and inviting presence. In these troubling times, change is occurring at an unparalleled pace. Michael's loss feels so profound because he was a fighter, an advocate, who embodied leadership rooted in kapwa, and we need that more than ever to face these times.
Community members continue to reach out, text, check in, and witness one another. These beautiful gestures reveal so much about the impact of Michael as a human being, and model the hopes and prospects of our collective humanity. We are deeply moved by all the ways Michael touched our interconnected networks, moving with ease across individual relationships and the organizational work. We recognize and honor the many ways in which our community grieves and continues to gather strength and resist chaos and uncertainty together. We extend our condolences to the incredible staff at Crossroads Fund, where Michael was Program Director since 2019, and to all of the community partners impacted by this great loss. Each of us continues to process our own grief and we ask that folks move respectfully toward supporting Irina and Zoya's needs at this time.
We invite you to support Michael’s family through this fundraiser as they find their way through immense loss and heartbreak. There will also be a Celebration of Life held in Chicago, which will be announced with details in the near future. The impact of this loss will affect our communities for a long time to come. May we continue to hold grace and honor the incredible and powerful light and life of Michael as we hold each other close.
If you have memories and stories of Michael you would like to share with our team, please reach out to us at contact@afirechicago.org.
