I have a dream, and that dream is to start a domestic violence shelter in Cochabamba, Bolivia. While I was wrapping things up in my last couple of months on mission with Franciscan Mission Service in Cochabamba, I began to speak with Bolivians about my dream to see how likely it would be to make it a reality. And every time I spoke with someone, I received the same response, "Yes! You must do this. It is very much a necessity here," or a variety of this with an even more welcome message, "I will help you. Tell me what you need, and we can work on it together." In fact, I have always had a dream of opening a domestic violence shelter, but it was a dream that I had placed on a shelf. I had talked myself out of it, or at least temporarily, thinking that it was something I would do after a million dollars somehow showed up on my front steps. And of course, being from the US, I thought that this dream would be realized after I returned to the US and figured out a way to make it happen in the future. But let me tell you why it is so important for me to make this dream a reality sooner rather than later. This dream has been fueled by the fire of thousands of little eyes peering up at me in Bolivia, telling me their stories, and seeing this need firsthand after falling in love with those little eyes. It has been fueled by the realization that once every three days a woman in Bolivia dies because of gender based violence. So what have I been doing to make my dream a reality to continue to help those most in need in Bolivia? I have been holding informational interviews with anyone who is willing to talk to me and has expertise in the fields of entrepreneurship, non-profit management, start up organizations, and domestic violence. I have been reading books on all of the above, as well as peace building in individuals and communities. I have begun attending 1 Million Cups, a weekly entrepreneurship event where start-up organizations pitch their companies and gain valuable insights from their peers and business professionals in a wide variety of industries. Soon I will be posting a new website, after which will come a FaceBook page, and I will be seeking volunteers in the following areas. In the meantime, if you have any advice and/or know someone with whom it would be helpful for me to talk, please pass along their information and I will be happy to seek them out. As always, thank you for your support in helping me to support those most in need in Bolivia, and blessings and peace to you!
How can you help? Volunteer in one of the following ways:
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AuthorValerie Ellis, who is in alignment with the Black Lives Matter Movement and everyone whose life is impacted, now or before, by times of social injustice. Archives
July 2022
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