For those of you who have been following our journey in Peru over the years, you probably recognize Lucia. We first met her over 3 years ago. She’s changed a lot in three years. Fear and insecurity have turned into security and confidence. Depression no longer keeps her in bed all day.
Ever since she was 5 years old, Lucia worked by selling trinkets to tourists on the streets of Cusco. It was long hours and hard work, but what came after work was often harder. If Lucia went home without enough money her father would beat her. And then she’d wake up and do it all over again the next day. This early experience started Lucia down a path of destruction that ended at a women’s shelter in Cusco.
That shelter represented an ending and a beginning. We supported Lucia and her two young boys as they transitioned out of the shelter and eventually to Lima. Here, they found the fresh start they were looking for. Her two boys are healthy and growing and Lucia is one of the cashiers at Brothers Bakery. It is the first job she has ever had that is SAFE and provides her a living wage. She and her boys have a safe place to live, food on the table, a community of support and most importantly hope for the future.
