Do you have a daughter?
Imagine that you have an eleven-year-old daughter. She smiles a lot, jumps around when she’s excited, and loves having her hair braided. You get joy from watching your sweet little girl grow and learn. Like all parents, you want to protect her from the evils of the world.
Now imagine that every single day, men are watching her, evaluating her physical appearance, noting where she lives, walking behind her, and planning evil.
For many young girls living in the dangerous inquilinatos of Medellín, Colombia, this is a reality of life.
What is an inquilinato?
In American terms, an inquilinato is a slum on steroids. It’s a tenement where space is rented not by the week or the month, but by a single night.
Many people living in the inquilinatos are good people who are struggling to survive, working jobs and eking out enough income to pay for a small space for the next 24 hours. If they don’t pay, their family is forced out onto the streets.
The space they are renting is just a tiny room squeezed next to five or six other rooms, each crammed with entire families. Sometimes ten people take refuge in a room barely big enough for two. There is one kitchen and one toilet on each floor. Maintenance and upgrades are unheard of.
Not all the tenants of the inquilinatos are good people. Many are involved in powerful gangs that control extortion rackets, drug trafficking, and sex work.
Often, the rooms do not have locked doors to keep other people out.
Worse, because adults must work during the day and because public school is not mandatory, children are left alone in the inquilinatos, fending for themselves during the day, alone and afraid. Terrible things happen to young girls in Medellin’s dangerous inquilinatos. Many of the girls who come to Casa de Sueños for help are the victims of sexual abuse. Girls growing up in the inquilinatos are at much higher risk of sexual violence than the rest of the population.
Narco and sex tourism in Medellin’s dangerous inquilinatos
Medellín has come a long way from decades past since it was the murder capital of the world. It cleaned up its violent history in certain districts and invested in beautifying the city.
If you have money, Medellín is a gorgeous place to live with temperate climates, thriving businesses, and great restaurants.
If you’re poor, Medellín is not so nice.
Now, many wealthy tourists flock to Medellín because they think they can score cheap drugs and participate in legal prostitution.
One Colombian man quipped,
“If you put a roof over Medellin it would be the biggest brothel in the world.”
Not legal below the age of 18
Only 12% of the countries of the world have legalized prostitution. Colombia is one of them. The problem is that “legal” prostitution only applies to young women eighteen years or older.
The sad, horrible fact is that most girls working as prostitutes are not “legal.” Huge numbers of girls lured into the sex trade are very young, far from eighteen years of age. Some of them are as young as nine. Virgins, after all, demand the highest price.
Young girls often are enticed into the sex trade by gang members who seek them out, starting conversations, inviting them to parties, and buying them gifts. Within a few weeks, these young, innocent women are trapped in the sex trade without knowing how to get out.
The drug trade is inextricably linked to the sex trade. Young girls often are given drugs and alcohol to soften their resistance. Many prostitutes become addicted because they have been supplied with Bazuco, the Colombia version of “crack” cocaine.
Helping Hands: A proven program
Casa de Sueños, the premier nonprofit for poor and abused children in Medellín, accepts girls working in the sex trade or who have become addicted to drugs. Casa de Sueños offers them a second chance. Many young women who come to Casa de Sueños have completed programs in institutions where they’ve been housed for drug addiction and sexual violence.
The award-winning program at Casa de Sueños for abused young girls is called Helping Hands.
Young women who agree to be nurtured by the Helping Hands program at Casa de Sueños are between 16-22 years of age. They must not be pregnant. Before being admitted to the program they must pledge to use birth control.
The process of healing begins when they enter our doors
Casa de Sueños presents a structured curriculum to help these abused young women learn skills that aid them in finding healthy, legitimate employment. They learn English and are instructed in computer literacy, social skills, and basic computer programs like Microsoft Word and Excel.
Not only do we teach them basic skills, but we help them in practical ways, like finding appropriate clothing. We also work with them on how to handle job interviews, giving them practice with role-playing interviews and preparing answers to questions they might be asked. These young women learn how to create a resume. Casa de Sueños has an excellent reputation, and we partner with several companies that we can refer our graduates to for work.
In addition to academic learning, we provide psychological counseling. Emotional scars are deep and often require intensive therapy to recover. Casa de Sueños provides a qualified psychologist and social worker to help these abused young women adjust to a new life.
More importantly, we offer them instruction on the Bible and the love of God. Many of them have not truly experienced faith in action until they come to Casa de Sueños.
Of the women who enroll in the Helping Hand program at Casa de Sueños, 96% graduate with the life skills needed to help them achieve a healthy, productive lifestyle.
How to help these abused, young women living in Medellin’s dangerous inquilinatos?
Join Casa de Sueños in the fight to lift young women from the poverty and abuse they’ve endured. Help educate, feed, and nurture them and break the evil cycle of the sex trade and drug addiction.
If this were your daughter, wouldn’t you want someone to help her?
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:10-11
With us, you can give these young women the gifts of life. You can help them find God’s guidance, along with fellowship, friendship, and faith. You can feed them food for both body and soul.
The love and laughter, strength and support of Casa de Sueños heals hearts.
These young women need you.
We need you.
Donate to Casa de Sueños