Roatan Girl Story

** names have been omitted for respect and protection

 

Roatan Girl’s mother was raped as a teenager. She had not been schooled or treated for her developmental disability because her family was so poor. All she knew how to do was clean houses to help the family survive.

 

At two months old the family decided it would be better for Roatan Girl to be adopted by a family in the community next to theirs.

 

Roatan Girl’s adopted father made good money transporting drugs. But, as most, he ended up being arrested in Cuba for a 10 year sentence. Roatan Girl’s adopted mother lived with her extended family.

 

At 8 years old, Roatan Girl’s adoptive uncle began to molest her nightly. She didn’t know anything else, but she felt in her inner heart it was wrong. He threatened her repeatedly not to tell anyone or they would get rid of her.

 

This continued for 5 years.

 

Because the communities were close, Roatan Girl knew her biological family, including her mother, and biological brothers and sisters. Roatan Girl’s biological mother was treated as a prostitute by men who took advantage of her developmental disability. While she is limited mentally her physical beauty has become a detriment to her.

 

Two of Roatan Girl’s biological siblings were recently given up to an orphanage because the family could not support them.

 

At age 13, just during the last year, Roatan Girl’s biological Aunt, Roatan Girl’s Auntie and Roatan Girl came to me and shared with me that she did not feel safe with her adoptive family. While they did not share with me what was going on, I sensed there may be molestation going on. I provided a referral to a new and local safe house for abused women and children.

 

Roatan Girl was rescued and the uncle was arrested as a result of this referral. Roatan Girl was then released to Roatan Girl’s Auntie who took her into her home while the proceedings ensued. It was at that time Roatan Girl’s Auntie realized just how broken Roatan Girl was.

 

She had been treated as an object and her childhood had been taken away from her. Roatan Girl could be so sweet, but at times she raged. She brought havoc into the household.

 

In the meantime, the Uncle who had been raping Roatan Girl nightly was released from prison! We suspect that since he had a relative in the system they had found a way to release him. He went directly to Roatan Girl’s Auntie’s house, kidnapped and raped Roatan Girl!

 

Roatan Girl ran! She went to Roatan Girl’s Auntie’s house and they took legal action once again, obtaining lab reports to prove she had been raped.

 

During the court proceedings the adoptive family who did have money hired an attorney who somehow put Roatan Girl back in the custody of their custody. During this time they threatened Roatan Girl so that when she testified rather than telling the truth she said she made up the story because her Aunt Roatan Girl’s Auntie told her to. Even though the lab reports were presented and it was clear that Roatan Girl was speaking in fear, the results of the hearing were devastating.

 

The judge ruled that Roatan Girl should be put into legal custody of her adoptive parents sister, who lived on the Coast.

 

As soon as Roatan Girl arrived at the home they told her they didn’t want her. Her adoptive mother told her they no longer wanted her as part of the family and she was put on the streets.

 

It was at this time I returned to Honduras and Roatan Girl’s Auntie contacted me again. I knew nothing of the circumstances, since I had been back in the USA.

 

We immediately worked to find both a facility and a government agency we felt we could rely on to assist in the rescue, protection and rehabilitation of Roatan Girl.

 

We connected with IHNFA, the local agency that represents abused women and children. They reviewed the case and determined that Roatan Girl most definitely qualified for their services.

 

After searching the streets we found Roatan Girl and were able to take her to a safe house in another major city in Honduras. However, Roatan Girl’s emotional and psychological needs were so severe that they called and told me that she needed a closer watch because she was suicidal.

 

With the help of IHNFA we moved her to the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa and found another home for her. It was a beautiful home with a closer care, focused on sexually abused girls. But, after all of this, Roatan Girl’s little heart and soul had been broken.

 

 

You know, this has been a hard road for Roatan Girl. Her heart is broken and she is having a hard time believing her life can change. She wants to be loved, but she is trapped in the fear that she cannot trust love from anyone.

 

As soon as she feels maybe someone cares about her she becomes radically emotional and reactive. Probably it is an inner trigger to test those who are trying to help her. I think deep inside she sees if she CAN push people away... if they give up on her than it validates that one constant she knows... that no one will take care of her.. that she is not safe depending on others.

 

Yet, when she succeeds in pushing people away, then she feels like giving up on life!

 

And, so, she has tried several times to hurt herself.

 

We have now had to move her into a more controlled facility. It is more like an institution for abused women. It is not as nice of an atmosphere as the other place we had her in, but she was so close to severely hurting herself we had no other option.  She is with about 15 other girls and women.

 

She has been put on some light tranquilizers to take the edge off. It does seem to be helping. Rhonda is not mentally ill, in a permanent basis, but she is, in a way so emotionally traumatized that she needs help to rebuild her inner being.  This is the focus of this facility.

 

I am going to go visit her. The doctor’s their say she is asking for me. I will go with her Aunt Roatan Girl’s Auntie who has been an amazing help.

 

She is under the care of a wonderful woman, who is a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist.

 

Our goal is to help Roatan Girl become stable emotionally and then transition her back into the home she was in before. From there we will develop a plan for her to socialize. It may take a couple of years, but that is our goal.

 

One of the biggest problems we face is that she wants so much to come back to Roatan. But this island is so small, and there is so much memory of the bad here, that we are not sure if it is safe for her emotionally to return.  Perhaps if she is here but not in the same town where all of this happened. We are thinking perhaps we can develop another type of home here for recovered victims.

 

We are looking to develop the Rhonda House that will be a temporary rescue and transfer home for victims we encounter.

 

 

But we also see the need for a recovery and re-entry home with a work program and a socialization center.

 

I have attached some pictures, of Rhonda and the home with the other women. Rhonda looks terrible but she is really at more peace.

 

I will keep you updated.

 

Please continue to support her with your prayers and contributions. We are maintaining excellent records of the donations. We have been using some of the funds for basic care for Rhonda as well as travel for her Aunt and myself to visit her. Ultimately we will use the funds to set Rhonda up in the re-entry home.

 

The Rhonda House:

This is our Rescue, Advocacy and Placement Project for at risk women and children. As noted in our Bay Islands ACE Program, there are many children and women being forced into sex and drug trafficking. Together with our Alliance Partners we will be opening counseling centers where victims can come and confidentially share their situation. When we determine there is abuse or the illegal force against women and children we will work with the Honduras Child Protection Agency, IHNFA, to provide immediate safety and placement.

 

Roatan has been discovered as a GO-TO tourist spot with international flights and cruise ships arriving daily. While this helps the economy in some ways it always brings the unfortunate predators who are seeking young boys and girls in sex trafficking. Poverty sometimes drives even the parents to usher their children out on the streets to make money in this horrid and perverted industry. Drug trade is also a dangerous place where children are being used as drug couriers in Roatan. We are developing vocational training centers and small business shops in an effort to rescue at risk and victims and provide a quality of life opportunity for stable jobs.

 

Project: The Bay Islands Academy of Conservation and Eco-Tourism provides the core environment to accomplish the goal of “Employment and Conservation”. The Academy is designed to provide vocational training and employment opportunities for the Native Bay Islander. The mission is twofold: fulfilling the tourism industry needs for a qualified and skilled workforce who will also carry with them the expert knowledge in conservation of land and marine eco-cultures. The Alliance Partners are committed to the application of its’ successful Integrated Employment Training Program (IETP). Working together, a commitment will be developed through a formal process to develop the Bay Islands Academy of Conservation and Eco-Tourism.

 

Employment Training Academy -- An Integrated Employment Training Program (IETP) based on an FHV-proprietary curriculum, will be adapted for approximately 600 at-risk youth, unemployed women and other at-risk people in the designated communities. IETP includes employment trainee assessment, pre-vocational training, on the job training and employment placement services. A concurrent IETP will be adapted for specific micro-enterprises, including but not limited to Garifuna Cultural Tour Groups, a Sewing Cooperative, and other small business enterprises. A condition of assistance will be long-term revenue sharing to sustain the program. For more information go to http://www.intensiveheartventures.org