At 14 year's old, Mariel* found herself pregnant, without support from her parents and no place to live. She found an exciting job offer as a nanny, and a woman offered to help her get all the paperwork she needed to live and work in neighboring Peru.
Upon arrival, the kindness of the stranger drastically changed. Mariel found no children to look after, but was taken to a bar, given new clothes to wear and told to accompany the patrons as they drank. When Mariel tried to escape, she was locked in a room, beaten and eventually forced to service the men there.
She fled the brothel with a man she met there and became pregnant again. This man was also violent with her. Finally, she escaped to Bolivia with her first daughter, but was forced to leave her baby behind.
We met Mariel in the brothels in the red light district we serve. She got involved in workshops and different activities with the Project Suma community, and found deeper healing through therapy. Recently she received a scholarship for a gastronomy training program, with hopes of opening her own restaurant and reuniting with her son.
““Casa Esperanza (Project Suma’s drop-in center) has been fundamental in my restoration.” ”
*Mariel’s name has been changed to respect her privacy, but her story has been shared with her expressed permission.