Marielos* was abused by men in her community when she was only 16 years old. She was born with a hearing impairment, and the men who hurt her thought she would stay silent.
But they were wrong.
Marielos bravely spoke up against them, even though the odds were against her. In Guatemala, less than 5% of sexual violence cases ever see a conviction. But when she spoke up, your support helped make sure she wouldn’t be alone.
Because of people like you, Marielos was supported by IJM, who collaborated with local authorities to make sure she was heard. Her testimony in court led to the arrest of both her abusers.
Thank you for making it possible for IJM to provide aftercare to survivors that is crucial in their healing and restoration process. For Marielos, that meant she received an opportunity to learn sign language, making her less vulnerable than before, and more empowered to speak up for herself.
Today, Marielos is a proud mother to a beautiful baby boy. She is resilient, brave, hopeful. And thanks to the intervention of people like you who have the audacity to believe than ending violence and slavery is possible in our lifetime, Marielos is safe.
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