From Cara Strauss.
A recent meeting held at Casa de Esperanza among the local syndicate of sex workers that we work with revealed deep divisions and distrust of the leadership. However, the meeting confirmed the safety that the women feel in Casa de Esperanza, and renewed many old friendships.
From Heather Goertzen.
Every first Friday of the month, our friends who prostitute gather early for work to participate in ch’alla. Ch’alla is a collective offering, burning of incense in which they offer prayers to Pachamama (Mother Earth) for protection, prosperity, etc. Our friends are often obligated to participate by brothel owners and management. Every first [...]
What do you do with broken tile and wet cement on the sidewalk outside the House of Hope?
Make a mosaic, of course!
From Cara Strauss, Oct. 1, 2008.
Today is the 5th year anniversary of the Casa de Esperanza, our drop-in center for women in prostitution. It was a gala affair, complete with a baked potato buffet, music, a short message, and a five foot tall paper tree on which the women hung their Hope Leaves.
I hid in [...]