Creative Responses to Human Needs
by peacedr | June 30, 2010 at 8:27 AM
I am fortunate to serve on the Board of Directors of No More Tears, a non-profit in South Florida that provides individualized assistance to victims of domestic violence and their children. We are all volunteers who do whatever we can to help each survivor in the way that she needs. Many of the ladies we have assisted (42 in the last three years) are immigrants who have suffered tremendous physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and financial abuse at the hands of husbands or boyfriends. They have also suffered from the institutional barriers imposed on immigrants to the U.S., such as lack of knowledge of available resources and inability to access some of them.
No More Tears' volunteers, led by founder and president Somy Ali, first work with each woman to help identify her dreams, interests, and desires. We then do whatever we can with our limited funds to make these dreams a reality. Given that funds are always uncertain, we have learned to be creative in what we do and to collaborate with others. So, instead of paying a mover, we move survivors ourselves. Unable to buy them all vehicles, we donate our own, or donate our time to transport these women. Rather than paying for childcare, we are their children's babysitters.
This is just a little bit of what we do--there is so much more. At essence, though, is that we treat each woman like a human being, offering her warmth, love, and support.
Comments
No More Tears is an
No More Tears is an incredible organization and you should be proud of yourself for being apart of it. It is true that so many immigrants in the United States become victims of abuse, where my good friend from Ukraine was abused by her husband when she moved here and had little to turn to. Furthermore, the status of undocumented immigrants is even more sad, where they remain silent scared that they'll be forced back to their home country.
Upon your experience, what are the best ways to overcome the hurdles that the US imposes on the immigrants to remedy GBV?
Thanks for your response,
Thanks for your response, Carrie. I believe the U.S. needs to enact I-VAWA so that we better coordinate with the rest of the world in providing services and, importantly, establishing prevention efforts. I also think the U.S. needs to finally ratify CEDAW, as it is gender inequality that lies at the root of domestic violence.
God's Blessing
This is beautiful, commendable and replicatable anywhere in the world. May God Bless Your Works as you wipe the tears of those women and their children, as you alleviate their poverty and provide shoulders where they can freely allow tears of sorrow to flow in order to allow tears of joy to ooze out form their tear glands again....God Bless you abundantly....
Olutosin Oladosu Adebowale (Prevent Sexual Assault)
Founder/Coordinator
Stop The Abuse of Rights
Festac Town
Lagos-Nigeria
http://www.moyojasiri.com/olutosin-oladosu-adebowale.html
http://www.facebook.com/#!/olutosin
http://www.facebook.com/#!/S
Thank you, Olutosin!!
Thank you, Olutosin!!