La Gran América Newspaper Vol Número 5,January, 2009 | Page 5
Enero 01, 2009
5
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Learn how the Salvation Army organization helped Carmen
By Marian Sanchez
For many years there have been different types of nonpro?t organizations.
They are intended to help the misfortunate who need some assistance. A ?ne
example of this is the Salvation Army
located in Willmar. A division branch
among many throughout the country.
The Salvation Army is a Christian
charity and a Church that is organized
internally as a military service. Its founders William and Catherine tried to bring
Christian salvation to the poor and hungry. They wanted to solve their physical
and spiritual needs.
The Salvation Army works in 111
countries (independent and not independent). It provides services in more than
175 di?erent languages. For administrative purposes, the organization is divided
geographically into territories which are
subdivided into divisions. Each territory
recognizes an administrative center known
as the THQ Territorial Headquarters.
After the United Nations, the Salvation Army would be the largest global
provider of social assistance. With costs
estimated at 2,600 million dollars for
2004. This included help for more than
30 million people. In addition to community centers and relief in natural disasters,
the organization works in refugee camps,
especially among displaced people.
The Salvation Army helps in various
types of cases some more di?cult than others. Most end with satisfactory results, such
as Carmen who was a victim of tra?cking.
Carmen came to the Salvation Army
hostel directly with the HDI Attorney
Ana Berta. The attorney asked the o?cer
if Carmen could stay with her children at
the hostel for a while because they needed
help. They were on the streets without food
or shelter to rest. The captain accepted and
the attorney o?ered milk and diapers.
When Carmen was interviewed she
opened her soul telling everything he has
lived. This is part of her story: Carmen is
from Honduras, C. A., She is 20 years old
and has two children: Carlos and Antonio who are 2 years old and 8 months.
“I received maltreatment and abuse as
well as was introduced to a very rampant
lifestyle. My mother left me in the care of
my grandmother when I was 2 years old
and my brother 10 months old. I grew up
under the abuse of my grandfather and
uncles. My grandfather continuously verbally and sexually abused me since I was 7
years old. He threatened to do the same if
my brother told my grandmother.
I began to hate life I hated it so much
that it got to the point where I just wanted to die. Little by little I realized that I
was so unhappy because my mother never wanted to know about the two of us.
We were at the mercy of our “family.” My
grandmother of who was of much older
age and forced me to wash clothes, make
food for my uncles, grandparents, and
brother had to have everything ready as
if I was the only woman in the house.
At school I was made fun of because I
had no parents. I spent my life hating everyone because I was so unhappy. When
I turned 15, I asked for my mother, and
someone told me he had seen in Tijuana,
Baja California.
I left my grandmother’s house without saying good bye because I didn’t want
a beating. I promised my brother I would
?nd our mother for us. Asking for rides arrived at Guatemala, where we contacted a
“pollero”(pimp) Me and four other women, all more or less the same story. He let us
stay in his house later saw that it was a bar.
He put us to work and we spent our time
waitressing, he took our belongings and
documents. He forced us to have sex with
whomever he made a deal with. That was
the only currency sex with which we would
pay the stay there. I was able to escape from
this horrible place with another girl and
with the help of another pimp. So I arrived
to Mexico to a place called “Talisman”. The
same story was repeated as with the previous pimp forcing me to be with whom he
wanted. When I was 17 years old I realized I was pregnant. It was like a glimmer
of happiness knowing that it would not be
alone in life. When the pimp realized I was
pregnant he threw out to the streets.
A woman o?ered me her support. I
did not suspected that she would be up to
anything. From the moment I arrived at
her home she took my son. She would not
let me see him or breast feed him. I was
abused sexually by the woman who was
a lesbian. I was locked up and could not
escape because my son was somewhere
in the house. I was given only food and
personal hygiene items. One day I had
the courage to escape because they were
drunk and took advantage of the oppor-
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