Material Girl - Abused, Beaten and Discarded

Material Girl seeking a glimmer of hope

NO, this is not another story about the rock legend. Rather, it is a true story of one girls’ fight to survive. We will not mention her name to protect her privacy.

Born into a family that fell upon hard times after the Balkans war. Now an adult woman, she has struggled through the loneliness, depression, fright, and uncertainty of the present. What will the future bring? Discarded, unwanted by her parents, confused by the abuse. Tied to a pole often and beaten leaving physical welts and mental scars. How would you handle this unimaginable torture at a tender age? Starting when she was ten it continued until turning 18 when the father threw all 8 young children out into the street. The mother did not intervene possibly out of fear, but we can only surmise.

Fast forward to today. HWIP had to assist her in graduating high school. Over the years providing direction, values, and self-awareness. Slowly teaching the young woman the principles of leadership, proactive thinking and action. Removing uncertainty and embedded fear is a long and slow process. Growing up without the wisdom of parental guidance she clung to the reassurance of a substitute father figure. Many times, over the years she heard the phrase “when you grow tired of how you are living you will take positive action to change”. You control your destiny. Make something happen, Be bold! Hearing those words and new actions can be a scary situation venturing into the unknown for someone alone. No one to hold her hand and walk her through the process, only a person on the other side of a text message.

Well through this long and slow process HWIP has been there and now we have some good news. This young lady had a difficult time finding one of the scarce jobs. Eventually being accepted in a material sweatshop. Working is very hard in this hot environment without the luxury of air conditioning. Taskmasters ensure consistent fast-paced output and penalized if walking and not running. Every day she is tired, sore and still poor. Then, sometimes she is being cheated on her wages by a despot boss. This environment inspired her to devise a plan for a better life. She has taken the initiative in an area she is familiar. Material girl has many ideas and wishes to put her ideas into action. However, in order to implement her dream, she needs a sewing machine. Her meager wages do not allow her to afford such a machine.

She needs your help. Imagine being in a hole that happens to be your current position in life. You are looking up at the escape route and you see the light at the top of the hole and you cannot escape. Material girl sees her escape from that sweatshop and through hard work propelling herself to a better life. She is many years beyond those horrible life events. Wanting desperately, embracing hope, envisioning this positive action, to break out. Only you can make that difference for her. Are you that difference-maker to change her dream into a reality? Visit www.hwip.org and donate today!