Filtered by Tag: #women
For years, Marlene was trapped in sexual exploitation far from home. Fear overtook her when a friend from the brothel was murdered. Bolivia has one of the highest femicide rates in the world; every three days a woman is murdered, and women in prostitution face an even higher risk.
Read MoreExploitation and abuse impart lasting trauma on survivors and their families. The children of survivors are subjected to extreme stressors, often requiring intensive support and therapy to recover and thrive. Such was the case for Ada* and her children, Valentina* and Feliciano*.
Read MoreDid you know? Bolivia ranks second to last in a global study of 142 countries rating systems of criminal justice. “Someone who sexually assaults a child in Bolivia is more likely to die slipping in the shower or bathtub than to sentenced to jail for their crime.” - Gary Haugen, Founder IJM
Read MoreAt 14 year's old, Mariel found herself pregnant, without support from her parents and no place to live.
Read MoreThese days, as a result of our stellar team’s relentless visits to the streets and health centers, a new woman shows up at the Casa de Esperanza every day on average.
Read MoreThe women of the highlands of Bolivia are the strongest women I have ever met. The women of El Alto, Bolivia walk long distances carrying their babies on their backs and goods to sell in their hands…
Read MoreI have lived in El Alto, Bolivia almost all my life. My parents worked in the copper mines, and 30 years ago moved to the city where they raised my four sisters, my brother and me. I have watched the city limits explode, reaching out further and further. I’ve seen up close how difficult it is for migrants to learn a whole new way of life, to navigate intense poverty, limited options and racism…
Read MoreToday on All Saints' Day we remember the deceased. Vivi* left us and her two young sons earlier this year.
Read MoreOf course it was "Mariela*" who didn't show up to SutiSana to work, our youngest artisan barely out of her teens, already a mom of her own two children and raising her orphaned brother.
Read MoreWhile most five-year-old boys are playing fearlessly among a multitude of friends, Franz,* with a limited vocabulary was timidly saving his own life and that of his family.
Read MoreIt’s not uncommon for our therapeutic groups or conversations with the amigas to get interrupted by the inner battle that they face daily — shortened breath, uncontrollable crying, dissociation, anxiety attacks, loss of hope…and so we make space.
Read MoreWhen we say ‘Highlights of Summer’ – we’re keeping in mind our North American readers! June, July and August are chilly months in Bolivia, but also a great time of ministry growth.
Read MoreFor many years, the strategy God gave WMFB was to simply be present, to be with those affected by prostitution. That strategy continues today, as groups of staff and volunteers visit local red-light districts. They go to where the women are to get to know them and form friendships with them, inviting them to the activities offered at the ministry center.
Read MorePerhaps all too often I can get caught up in the weight of this work, the difficulty of true healing processes, and thus trying to take seriously what we do, which is certainly merited. But what if the most healing, therapeutic thing we can do is to hug our child or draw together or laugh?
Read More
