How long will girls stay?

Hello Friend,

"How long will the girls stay on the ranch before they're ready to leave?"

This is a question we have often been asked by people wondering what the Reina's Hope mission is all about.

Like a good lawyer, I have always replied, "It depends."

That is honestly the truth. Each young woman comes with different challenges, capacities, life experiences, and needs. Some have arrived ready to engage, learn, heal, and grow. For others, that climb is much more rigorous and arduous.

One such example is one of our girls, whom I will call Maria, out of respect and protection of her. Maria arrived extremely guarded. In some respects, she remains that way to this day, although she has integrated well and shows great signs of progress.

She is 14 years old. She does not yet know how to read and writes only at a very elementary level, well below her age. Having previously learned of her history and upbringing, we were not entirely surprised by these struggles.

Maria had been prostituted by her own mother since the age of 8. She was never afforded the opportunity to go to school or engage in the most common activities for girls as she was growing up. She was "a working girl" for almost five years at the hands of her own mother. Maria was eventually rescued from that unbelievable situation, and her mother was prosecuted and imprisoned.

Maria now lives at Reina's Hope with her four "sisters." She has a private tutor three days a week helping her to learn to read and write and gain the confidence and self-respect that come with having those basic skills.

How long will Maria remain at Reina's Hope before she is able to launch into a meaningful, independent life? As long as it takes!

Your continued monthly support of Reina's Hope makes it possible to provide a safe place for Maria and our others to rest, recover and find hope and restoration. Thank you for your continued support.