Written by: AMWA Premedical Division Global Health Committee
The AMWA Premedical Division’s Global Health Committee is partnering with Casa Esperanza — a women’s and children’s shelter in Maneadero, Mexico that houses survivors of domestic violence and related trauma.
Casa Esperanza has been empowering its residents since it was established by missionaries in 2001. Casa’s primary goal is to provide women and their children with the security and stability they need to regain independence in order to leave the shelter as a stronger family unit with a brighter future.
Casa Esperanza is currently supported by two clubs in California, the first being at Great Oak High School and the second at the University of California, Berkeley. Visit their website for more information.
The AMWA Premedical Division’s Global Health Committee has launched a fundraiser to provide mental health services to the mothers at Casa Esperanza. As part of Casa Esperanza’s goal to help mothers heal from their pasts, investing in group therapy has always been an idea but difficult to execute due to costs. While the home has hosted several group therapy sessions previously, they have since been halted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Data collected from a 2016 study conducted by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) indicated that 66% of Mexican women aged 15 and older reported to have suffered from at least one incident of emotional, economic, physical, or sexual violence within their lifetimes (1).
Survivors of abuse and trauma can benefit from several types of psychotherapy including psychodynamic psychotherapy, trauma-focused CBT, and EMDR (2). Processing traumatic experiences is not only helpful but also considered a necessary step toward recovery when addressed within therapy-based treatment modalities (2).
All funds raised will go toward online therapy sessions with culturally sensitive providers for the mothers at Casa Esperanza. As many of us may know, therapy sessions can be costly, especially without health insurance. Continuation of care is a critical focus in our fundraising goal, as sustained mental health services will be much more effective than fragmented care. We hope that the funds raised will be able to provide months of therapy for the mothers. If you have the means to donate to this cause, please feel free to learn more about our initiatives here.
If you are interested in learning more about the fundraiser, Casa Esperanza, or would like information as to how you can become further involved, please explore the following resources:
- Fundraiser website
- Casa Esperanza website
- Contact cchau@amwa-doc.org or globalhealth@amwa-premed.org
Sources:
- INEGI. (2016). Encuesta Nacional sobre la Dinámica de las Relaciones en los Hogares (ENDIREH). Retrieved 23 January 2021, from https://www.inegi.org.mx/programas/endireh/2016/
- Cowan, A., Ashai, A., & Gentile, J. P. (2020). Psychotherapy with Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Assault. Innovations in clinical neuroscience, 17(1-3), 22–26.
