Guatemala Child Survivors Group Appeal
Please can you help us set up a child self-help group in Guatemala with Jennifer*?
You may be aware that our work in Guatemala serves child victims of unspeakable sexual assault and abuse.
One of the survivors felt called to start a survivors group, so that she and others can meet to encourage each other, pray for one another and make friendships. And to create a safe place where survivors can share their stories, knowing they are not alone.
Jennifer and our team have held four events so far which have been received incredibly well, but we need your help to keep them going.
*Name changed to protect privacy
Here's what your donation can do
If you give £20
£20 covers a girl's transport to all five meetings for the year.
Transporting the girls to and from the meetings safely is one of our biggest challenges and costs. Your donation will enable us to do this for one of the girls across five gatherings.
If you give £50
£50 will fund activity materials for 20 of the girls at one event
Just doing things together is great for the girls, so your donation of £50 will enable Jennifer and the others to buy activity materials and resources to make this possible.
If you give £100
£100 lets Jennifer and our team hire a safe, effective venue for one event.
It is so important for the girls to feel safe in an environment where they can open up and feel comfortable. Your donation will enable us to hire the perfect venue for one of the meetings.
We are trying to raise £5,000 to help serve about 50 child victims over the next 12 months, working closely with this remarkable Christian girl.
Jennifer and the team have asked us if we can help raise £5,000 to fund the project for another 12 months.
The main costs are activity materials, transport, refreshments and venue hire, so any help you can give will be really appreciated. It is an amazing project and she is a remarkable young woman, so please be assured that any donation you make will go a long way.
Jennifer is from a place called Escuintla in Guatemala, which is a hotspot of child sexual abuse and where Kids Alive has a dedicated office serving a number of the victims. Fortunately, Jennifer’s parents believed her when she told them she had been assaulted, and they were referred to our office.
Here Jennifer received trauma care and counselling, as well as social support for her family. Crucially the Kids Alive legal team fought for justice for Jennifer. Her aggressor was successfully prosecuted and he’s now behind bars.
Jennifer is a committed Christian and she wants to use what she has been through to serve others. Our team is supporting her with this amazing project, they just need some more funds to keep it going for another year or so.
Jennifer commented, “I want other women and children to know that what happened to them was not their fault; and to give them a space to know that they are not alone.”
“Sexual violence remains a pervasive and systemic issue in Guatemala, disproportionately affecting girls ages 14 and under.
The path to justice for girls who are survivors of sexual violence is fraught with obstacles, with many being revictimised and abandoning their cases.”
Text from a Human Rights Watch report, January 2025.
A telling quote from one of our psychologists
“One of the recurring questions that girls ask themselves when they are victims of violence is “Why me?" Being part of the network allows them to see themselves within a group of people who have gone through a similar situation and are not the only ones who have, unfortunately, experienced violence.
And although it doesn't completely answer their question, they know that they are not alone on this journey and that there are more people who understand them. It gives them a sense of belonging and that their adverse experience and overcoming it allows them to accompany others in the same process.”
Marielos, Kids Alive Guatemala Psychologist in Escuintla
The girls have decided to call the group the ‘Comunidad AVES’, or ‘community of birds’, with ‘AVES’ being an acronym for:
A – alegria (joy) V – valiente (brave) E – esperanza (hope) S – sabiduria (wisdom)
This project is nothing short of remarkable and one we believe God has blessed. With Jennifer’s passion and the unwavering dedication of our incredible team in Escuintla, we are confident that bringing their vision to life will inspire and transform the girls’ lives.
Here’s what some of the girls who have attended the events have said:
“It makes me feel that I am not alone and helps me understand many things.”
“Almost all of the sessions have been a blessing for me. They help us improve our lives because we believe that we are doing well, and the talks they give are helpful and something I had never received before.”
“I really liked it, I feel great, and next time I want to participate in the devotional.”
“Thank God I was able to come, I was really looking forward to seeing the girls. I feel good, I feel like it's a safe space and I'm happy to belong to the group.”
Please can you give today and empower these precious girls? Any amount will have a lasting impact on them.
Thank you for your kindness and compassion.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
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