Click here to read on-going columns, addresses and articles authored by IPM's Executive Director, Joseph F. Cistone.
Speranza II: Saying No to Prostitution and Yes to Life
Europe
Speranza II: Saying No to Prostitution and Yes to Life
Project Coordinator:
Sister Anthonia Ugheighele
Project Overview:
In recent years, human trafficking has received attention from the global community as a critical issue which exploits millions of women and children each year. Speranza II: Saying No to Prostitution and Yes to Life (Castel Volturno, ITALY) is facilitated by a group of religious women from the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Nigeria. Their community provides a safe haven for African women who are victims of sex trafficking between Nigeria and Italy. Speranza II provides these women the opportunity to regain their legal documentation, to learn Italian, and to learn how to sew traditional West African crafts. These crafts are then sold at conferences and market squares to earn sustainable income in a safe and dignified manner.
Recent Accomplishments:
2 of the women were able to leave left the house in March 2008 and have secured jobs. One of the women has secured her residency permit and working papers, and the other is in the process of receiving them.
Goals for 2008:
To reorganize the project and include outdoor activities for girls in other houses of rehabilitation and those who are yet to leave the street.
IPM Funding Goal for 2008:
$5,000
Community Impact:
Florence, one of the women in the house, did not know anything about computers, craft-making or batik making before coming into the house. Now, she has gained important skills in these areas and has made some Rosaries and batiks to provide her some income.
How your donation may be put to use:
$111 provides cloth and dyes for women rescued from sex trafficking to produce clothing and handcrafts.