Every 48 minutes a woman or girl in Guatemala is sexually abused.
Since the outbreak of coronavirus this number is growing every day.
GIRLS IN GUATEMALA NEED YOUR HELP!
Help SERniña by REALgirl provide critical support to young sexual abuse survivors in Guatemala.
Thanks to the generosity of a supporter of SERniña by REALgirl, we are able to run a limited-time matching campaign. This means that every dollar you donate will be DOUBLED!
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The Issue
Just like everywhere around the world, coronavirus is causing many social and economic challenges in Guatemala. Since early March, schools have been closed, SERniña workshops have been cancelled, and a ‘shelter in place’ order and strict curfew has been ordered. Therefore, SERniña participants are all currently isolated in their homes with their families.
During this pandemic, everyone is facing harsh obstacles and challenges. But, the reality is girls growing up in poverty in Guatemala are the most at-risk and facing some of the most dire challenges:
Sadly, many SERniña by REALgirl participants fall into these statistics and we estimate that at 1 out of 5 of our female participants come from homes with a history of sexual abuse and up to one-quarter of our program participants are physically abused on a consistent basis.
As the vast majority of the cases happen in their home and the abuser is someone living with them, during this time of isolation our girl participants have been physically isolated with their abuser and are potentially being re-victimized on a regular basis.
During this pandemic, everyone is facing harsh obstacles and challenges. But, the reality is girls growing up in poverty in Guatemala are the most at-risk and facing some of the most dire challenges:
- Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, rates of domestic and sexual violence have increased dramatically.
- When it comes to sexual abuse, 89 percent of girls’ rapists are family members.
- With schools being closed, many girls have no “safe place” and without SERniña workshops girls have no access to resources, support, or guidance on how to seek help and safety.
Sadly, many SERniña by REALgirl participants fall into these statistics and we estimate that at 1 out of 5 of our female participants come from homes with a history of sexual abuse and up to one-quarter of our program participants are physically abused on a consistent basis.
As the vast majority of the cases happen in their home and the abuser is someone living with them, during this time of isolation our girl participants have been physically isolated with their abuser and are potentially being re-victimized on a regular basis.
SERniña by REALgirl's Response
In collaboration with local field-experts and specialized NGOs, SERniña by REALgirl hopes to launch the following initiatives as soon as it is safe to do:
Victim Support
Victim Support
- Provide group therapy sessions for sexual abuse survivors
- Offer over 300 one-on-one psychological sessions for victims of abuse
- Lead violence prevention workshops for 400 youth
For less than $15 you can provide a girl in urgent need with access to life-saving psychological supports. Don’t forget your donation will be MATCHED, meaning if you donate $20, SERniña by REALgirl will receive $40!
DOUBLE YOUR DONATION! DONATE TODAY!
