Sadly, the rate of domestic violence in Guatemala is overwhelming. In general, women are expected to accept domestic violence as their lot in life. High levels of alcoholism among men,and the inability for women to provide for themselves and their children financially only compound the problem. Limited police protection and a culture that says women must stay with their husbands regardless of how badly they are abused results in a lack of resources to aid or protect women and their children from violence. Shelters are almost nonexistent in Guatemala.
So, it was with great thankfulness that Emmanuel's Heart and Partnership in Women's Ministries saw the birth of a long awaited dream in June 2008 with the opening of El Refugio, our women's abuse shelter.
El Refugio, (The Refuge) officially opened its doors for ministry on June 1, 2008, and our first client arrived two days later. Eunice and her three children, (Brian, Jasmine and Christian) were welcomed into the shelter with loving arms. Eunice has experienced abuse on almost every level for over the past six years. She shared that she felt isolated with nowhere to turn until her sister told her about us. The women and children almost always come to us with nothing but a history of violence. We are able to provide them with shelter, food and clothing as well as the emotional and spiritual support they so desperately need. Eunice and her children stayed with us for three weeks while restraining orders were processed by our director/attorney, Pamela, and plans were made for Eunice and the children to move to Solola with extended family. Pamela participated in this process as well, helping extended family understand that violence is not tolerable. She also met with local police to make them aware of the situation and the existence of the restraining order. Finally, she worked with Eunice to begin work baking ham and cheese croissants to earn an income.
Since our first family, El Refugio has continued to remain a busy home. We currently have 5 bedrooms available for abuse victims and their children. At times we have had up to 21 residents under our roof! Some of our women are with us only 4 or 5 days as they escape a dangerous situation and determine what living options are available to them. Others have been with us for 2 to 3 months, having nowhere else to turn.
The stories our women and their children tell are heartbreaking, and are such a reminder of the important service our shelter is providing. So many have come to us and said, "I wish there had been something like this during the many years my children and I were being abused," or "I wish my mom and I had known of somewhere like El Refugio but she died from machete wounds when my dad was drunk."
The women we serve, and often their children, are survivors of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. We share their pictures with their permission, and when appropriate, change their names for their privacy. In addition to typical domestic violence scenarios, we often see women being pushed into prostitution by extended family members, pregnant teenagers who are homeless, teens molested by their fathers, and women and children facing death threats from local gangs.
Our goal is to assist women and children in the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing necessary for them to re-enter society prepared to meet the needs of their families.
- COUNSELING
is available for our women and children from a trained Guatemalan Christian counselor who meets weekly with each woman both individually and in a group setting.
- DISCIPLESHIP/MENTORING
is provided by our in-house staff and discipleship teachers. Our women and children receive optional classes and daily training in the areas of biblical teaching and Christian living, parenting, and healthy relationships.
- CHILDREN'S EDUCATION
is provided. We pay expenses for the children to attend a nearby school and offer educational opportunities in the shelter.
- ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING
is offered to our women. We offer assistance in job training, literacy training, and skill teaching, and seek to expand this area of service in the future.
- PHYSICAL CARE
is provided to our women and children through shelter, food and clothing as well as meeting their basic medical and dental needs. Due to poverty most of our women and children have never been to a dentist and have had very limited medical care. Many have never owned a toothbrush and suffer from poor nutrition.
- FOLLOW UP AND SUPPORT
is currently given to our families on a limited basis as they return to their communities. At this time we are able to maintain contact to make sure they are not falling back into abusive situations. Our desire with additional staffing is to provide more extensive follow up as we continue to encourage physical, emotional and spiritual development for these families, as well as additional training such as handling finances, encouraging children's education, and goal setting.