💫The sound of a generation...!
A few weeks ago, as I recovered from jet lag and a nasty bug I picked up in El Salvador, I sat on my couch looking through some of the photos of the girl's conference we held last month. For the first couple of weeks since I had returned home, I’d found it hard to articulate the essence of the shift and momentum we had seen from our inaugural girls’ conference in 2023 to Arise and Shine 2024.
Just twelve months ago, on the day that our team had kicked off our first conference, our delegates had arrived at the venue with a palpable mixture of nervousness and excitement. Appearing a little overwhelmed by the space we had created for them it was clear that Arise and Shine was a gathering like no other that they had ever attended before and they seemed almost unsure of the special part they played in it all.
I remember standing on the front row that day, ready to take the microphone for the first session when my nerves began to take over. The fact that we were running a conference for little girls, the first of its kind that we knew of in El Salvador, to address head on the issues of abuse, assault and gender based violence in the country where the highest rates of violence against girls and women are perpetrated, did not escape me.
It was not something that our team or I took lightly. The responsibility of opening up the conversation with young girls and various churches in our own unique way through Arise and Shine weighed heavily on me especially in those few moments.
At that time, we were still developing our program framework and our team was earnestly praying that the missing pieces and the people we still needed to come alongside us wouldn’t hinder our effectiveness to empower, care and provide effectively for our participants on that day.
Thankfully, we were prepared enough :) and the day marked a significant step toward our vision of seeing girls and women in El Salvador set free from abuse.
There are still many strong cultural barriers that we are up against, but today, we can look back over what we have been able to establish over the last twelve months of our program and we could not be more thankful!
Incredibly thankful, as the momentum from Arise and Shine 2023 set us up for the success of this year’s conference. The fruit of which we are still seeing today!
The awareness raised through Arise and Shine 2024 and our valuable partnerships with local churches will enable us to continue to break through extremely hard ground in various communities.
This year’s conference saw us host 160 delegates. It was an amazing experience for us as we witnessed the girls really embrace the vision and hope of living a life free from violence. For many of them, violence against women in its various forms has been an ingrained reality within their families for generations- for many it is all they have known.
Through this gathering, we not only affirm the girls' worth, value, and dignity but also actively demonstrate it.
One of the most impactful aspects of the conference this year, was seeing the younger generation of Salvadorean leaders take on a significant upfront role in the conference. They did so with confidence and strength, and we could not be prouder!
Their eagerness to participate and contribute is a testament to the impact we're making in raising up and training the next generation.
It was a wonderful way to celebrate International Women’s Day 2024!
Pictured here is Erika Alfaro, a local Youth leader who delivered a powerful message of restoration to the girls.
Once back home in Australia, it took me a couple of weeks to fully grasp the transformation unfolding in El Salvador through our programs. Perhaps it’s because I still can’t believe the part we get to play in it all.
In essence, given the safe space to do so, young girls in El Salvador are wholeheartedly embracing this vision and rising up.
We are hearing the sound of a new generation of girls yearning for more and for a different story compared to those of their mothers, aunties, or grandmothers, which have been plagued by violence.
We're witnessing the emergence of a new generation of girls who desire something different for their lives and who are slowly and courageously beginning to embrace their identity and actively stepping into it.
We are so thankful to you for partnering with us to create this space for them.
Salvador’s HOPE
