Gemma, as I will call her for the purpose of this update is 14 years old. At least we think she is 14, as we don’t have any official documentation for her.
Gemma currently lives in our teenage mothers home, although she herself does not have any children. Instead, she lives there taking care of her two sisters, one who is 5 years old, the other one 2 years old.
To give it a bit of context, Gemma and her sisters are from Costa Rica. Gemma was forced into the world of commercial sexual exploitation by her own mother and step-father. She was taken to Panama, Guatemala and El Salvador where she was no-doubt forced to unbearable and unimaginable things.
Now under the protection of Casa Alianza Nicaragua, Gemma lives with her two sisters. She, with the help of the Casa Alianza legal team, successfully won a court case against her own mother so that she would gain custody of these two younger girls so that they would not be subjected to the same fate at the hands of their own family. It is difficult for her, but she takes care of these two girls as if there were her own children.
Out of anyone I have worked with at Casa Alianza, Gemma is one of those who have had one of the most profound impacts on me. She has been robbed of her childhood and adolescence in the most brutal of ways. Despite this she has been willing to take on one of the most difficult burdens and care for her sisters as if they were her own daughters, so that they will not be subjected to the same fate.
The courage and strength she has shown to do this, in spite of all of the pain she herself has gone through, really is one of the most remarkable things I have ever seen.
Its, of course, never going to be plain-sailing. We have found Gemma inflicting self-harm, taking out her pain and sadness on herself. Despite this she remains a girl who inspires me in almost about everything she does, and it is at times difficult to understand this courage and strengths she shows, at least most of the time.
Unfortunately in this part of the world, a story of remarkable courage does not mean a happy ending. Gemma and her two sisters will be leaving Casa Alianza next week, for reasons beyond our or her control. I will continue this story in my next update, but we are currently all very concerned about this future of this wonderful girl and her sisters, and I can only hope that at some point she will be given the right to enjoy her childhood and her adolescence that she has been brutally robbed of and so greatly deserves.
About Me
- Simon Walters
- My name is Simon Walters - I work for Casa Alianza Nicaragua. Casa Alianza Nicaragua is a non-profit NGO, working to protect, support and rehabilitate children living on streets, victims of abuse, violence, abandonment, commercial and sexual exploitation and human trafficking. I work as a specialist member of staff, coordinating healthy and sustainable activities for the kids in our protection, and on the international development side of things - working with all the Casa Alianza sites in Latin America. I hold a MA in International Law and Human Rights from the United Nations University for Peace, and a MA in History from the University of Edinburgh. I am very involved in the Model United Nations, and in 2009 served as the Founding Secretary General of Mostar International Model United Nations, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I also have experience in English teaching, coaching public speaking and debating, acting and radio presenting.
Sunday 30 January 2011
Saturday 22 January 2011
A long overdue update.....Maria's story
Its time for a long overdue update.......
I took a very welcome break to the US over the new years, and since getting back to Nicaragua, its been great being back at work.
One of the biggest successes since coming back, is that many of the kids, the ones I spoke about in my last entry, who stayed at Casa Alianza over Christmas, really seem to be improving.
Maria, for example, is a 14 year old girl, and was a formerly coerced into the sex industry working at Managua's Mercado Oriental, one of the most dangerous places in the city.
When she first came to Casa Alianza her body was scarred and bruised. She would often shiver as she was trying to get off the drugs in which she had previously taken refuge. I would often find her sitting sullenly somewhere around the buildings, with a hood covering her face. She was a very timid girl, and found it difficult to speak to people for long periods of time.
Despite the hard times, Maria stayed at Casa Alianza during the christmas period. I had a long chat with her before I left as I knew she was finding it exceptionally difficult, but at the same time I knew she was desperate to change her life.
Maria has now been at Casa Alianza for 2 and a half months, and although she still has difficult moments, she is now far more what we might call a 'normal' teenage girl. She is lively and happy, and no longer feels the need to hide herself away. The improved self-confidence in her is apparent and wonderful to see. I am convinced that if she stays with us, then the chance of her getting back into society, and being able to live a 'normal' and happy life, are much greater.
There have been difficult and sad times as well, and I will no doubt be sharing those, but for the time being, I wanted to start this first entry of 2011 on a happy note.
And although this is belated, I wish you all a very happy and inspiring 2011!
With love,
Simon
I took a very welcome break to the US over the new years, and since getting back to Nicaragua, its been great being back at work.
One of the biggest successes since coming back, is that many of the kids, the ones I spoke about in my last entry, who stayed at Casa Alianza over Christmas, really seem to be improving.
Maria, for example, is a 14 year old girl, and was a formerly coerced into the sex industry working at Managua's Mercado Oriental, one of the most dangerous places in the city.
When she first came to Casa Alianza her body was scarred and bruised. She would often shiver as she was trying to get off the drugs in which she had previously taken refuge. I would often find her sitting sullenly somewhere around the buildings, with a hood covering her face. She was a very timid girl, and found it difficult to speak to people for long periods of time.
Despite the hard times, Maria stayed at Casa Alianza during the christmas period. I had a long chat with her before I left as I knew she was finding it exceptionally difficult, but at the same time I knew she was desperate to change her life.
Maria has now been at Casa Alianza for 2 and a half months, and although she still has difficult moments, she is now far more what we might call a 'normal' teenage girl. She is lively and happy, and no longer feels the need to hide herself away. The improved self-confidence in her is apparent and wonderful to see. I am convinced that if she stays with us, then the chance of her getting back into society, and being able to live a 'normal' and happy life, are much greater.
There have been difficult and sad times as well, and I will no doubt be sharing those, but for the time being, I wanted to start this first entry of 2011 on a happy note.
And although this is belated, I wish you all a very happy and inspiring 2011!
With love,
Simon
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