Shoes for Haitian Girls

KOFAVIV, MADRE’s sister organization in Haiti, firmly believes in equipping the women they serve with the information they need to reclaim, exercise, and advocate for their rights. And this is no different for the young girls who participate in their Saturday workshops. In addition to trauma counseling, skills building and other rehabilitation activities, these young survivors of violence also participate in trainings and activities that focus on women’s human rights. By developing knowledge of their rights, KOFAVIV gives these young girls the tools they need to become empowered and to advocate for other girls who have faced similar traumas and violence.

The Saturday workshop project has nurtured the growth of young women’s rights activists. Last year, we shared with you the story of “Minou”, a young girl who less than a year into her participation in the workshops became a KOFAVIV outreach worker. Using her personal experiences to engage and motivate her peers, she now provides peer counseling and mentoring to other young girls at the Center. And our partners recently told us that many other girls like Minou have expressed an enthusiastic interest in becoming more active members in the organization.

With your support, KOFAVIV can continue to provide the crucial services to help these girls overcome the trauma of sexual violence and grow into empowered young activists who will fight to put an end to violence against women and girls.