Filtered by Category: Survivor Stories
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 MoreWhen Andrés invited us to Casa Esperanza, there was so much distrust that few of us accepted. Some went only for the material help but others went because we wanted out, we wanted to see if someone could do something for us, if someone could help us leave the brothels or at least give us hope.
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 MoreAt 14 year's old, Mariel found herself pregnant, without support from her parents and no place to live.
Read More“The only value I knew was my body.” - Bonnie, FCF
Read MoreI didn’t know that a place as special as the “House of Hope” existed. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this place is magnificent. This place not only managed to change the way I think but also my way of acting. I really don’t know how to express myself well, I can’t get the right words out in order to say that the “House of Hope” is a special place for me.…
Read MoreAs a young orphan, Fiona* and her siblings were left to fend for themselves. She and her little sister fled to the streets after being sexually abused as teens. Desperate to survive and to provide for her baby as a young, single mother, Fiona unwittingly entered commercial sexual exploitation and found herself trapped there…
Read MoreThe Freedom Climb mirrors a woman’s arduous journey towards restoration. We meet her in her place of need and offer hope and opportunities for lasting change. Support her brave journey to freedom!
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 MoreAt 12 years old, Vania* has experienced more hardships than most adults.
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 More“I wish everyone would stop talking about him like he was a drug dealer and a gangbanger. As if that makes it okay that he was killed.”
Read MoreEvery superhero has a tragic origin story, but Wanda's is absolutely horrific.
Read MoreAngela has worked hard to never have to return to prostitution. On average, a woman attempts to leave the streets 7 times before finally becoming free. But Angela is going strong, supporting even her grandchildren.
Read MoreHonestly, I understand why Ada was mad at God. Misfortune and disaster seem to hunt her, and it’s hard not to blame it on an all-powerful Father.
Read MoreOn a chilly Wednesday evening, a small team made its weekly visit to the red-light district, and met Vanessa.* At 28 y/o, she had resorted to prostitution a few months prior to make ends meet for her two young sons.
Read MoreIn the red-light district a block from our ministry center, there are 500 beds. As we do every Christmas, we enter each of the fourteen brothels there donning Santa Claus hats and proclaiming the gospel through Christmas carols. The administrators were, as always, remarkably accepting; some even genuinely enjoying the cheerful invasion. One administrator in particular pulled us aside and told our staff, "I've got a girl who's not doing well. Think she's about to die."
Read MoreAlthough she visited our ministry center years ago, she wasn’t quite ready for change. But when she hit rock bottom, she knew where to turn for help.
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