Hope and Healing for Acid Attack Survivors

In the United States, we don’t normally think of acid as a weapon. Yet, thanks to its easy and cheap availability and devastating effects, acid has long been used as a means of attack in some cultures. Dousing the face and hands with this caustic liquid has traditionally been used as a method of revenge or punishment against a woman who has spurned a sexual advance, rejected a marriage proposal, or somehow angered her husband or other male relatives. In addition to the trauma, pain, and disability caused by the acid, the resulting disfigurement often leaves her stigmatized within her community.

WAR, Int’l and its partners recognize the risks faced by survivors of acid attacks and seek to provide hope and healing in culturally relevant ways. We are encouraged to see other organizations doing the same. Although the organizations featured in the following video and article are not associated with WAR, Int’l, we work toward the same goal of empowering wounded women to lead lives of dignity and purpose.

The video above is part of an inventive awareness campaign by an Indian non-profit which supports survivors of acid attacks. Along with makeup tutorials, the organization is sponsoring an initiative asking for a ban on over-the-counter acid sales in India. Meanwhile, other creative enterprises exist to bring hope and empowerment to survivors. Below is a heartwarming story of how a small café with a big goal is making a compelling difference in the lives of survivors.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/11/02/sheroes-hangout

Acid attacks have always been an issue near and dear to the heart of Women At Risk, International. It was an acid attack on a childhood friend in Bangladesh that ignited a passion for at-risk women within founder and President Becky McDonald. This set the stage for the eventual formation of WAR, Int’l, which continues to be involved in both preventative measures against acid attacks and holistic medical care for victims. We take heart at the growing awareness of this issue, the increasing number of organizations springing up to combat it, the care being offered to survivors, and the resiliency shown by those survivors. We invite you to rejoice with us in these stories of empowerment, opportunity, and hope.

 

Ladies Night Out – Nov 13, 2015

It’s that time of the year again! Join us at WAR Chest Boutique for pre-holiday pampering and shopping with a purpose. This is the perfect event to get your Wish List started for Christmas: all of the newest items will be featured! Come for an evening and enjoy being a woman!

  • Free Manicure in WAR burgundy & gold
  • Make-overs & facials
  • Sample fair trade chocolate
  • Learn about Essential Oils; Make your own sugar scrub!
  • Make your holiday wish list: tell your loved ones which WAR products are on your list!!!
  • Enter to win a “grab bag” of WAR product
  • Write notes of encouragement to rescued women in our US Training Center
  • Eat more chocolate
  • Bring a friend and get a discount!

ladies-night-outThere will be stylists & designers to spruce up your holiday look and make you feel as wonderful as you are.

Call 616.530.1234 or Facebook to RSVP!

Change in Our Own Back Yard

The Story of WAR, Int’l’s U.S. Training Center

Bethany Winkel | Staff Writer

“I don’t know what it will look like, but if you want to leave this business, we’ll help you.”

EndSlavery_Page_1These words, spoken in a bar in the red light district of Grand Rapids, Michigan, are the words that launched a training center. Voiced by the president of Women At Risk, International (WAR, Int’l) to a woman named Monique, these words carried the power to break chains. They spoke of hope and freedom. When those fateful words came forth, something in Monique reached out and grasped onto them. She was ready for change. Within a few days she showed up at WAR, Int’l headquarters.

The words were sincere, the quickness of the response unexpected. WAR, Int’l staff joyfully welcomed Monique. They worked with her for hours, trying to help her figure out where she might find employment, what sort of work she could do, whom she might use as a reference. But trying to write a resume for someone who had known only the abuse of the streets proved futile. More words were spoken, another promise given: “We’ll hire you to make jewelry.” At that moment, a pilot program was born.

WorkWithDignity_Page_2From its humble beginnings in WAR, Int’l’s staff kitchen, that pilot program has grown into a training center where numerous women have found healing and a fresh start. Since that morning when Monique showed up on WAR, Int’l’s doorstep, countless others like her have walked through those doors, weary and in need of change. The Encompassed Creations program at our own U.S. Training Center (USTC) gives them a chance to make that change. Here they are mentored in life skills, trained in job etiquette, and given steady employment. As they learn to design and create jewelry, candles, spa items, and more, they are nurtured in the skills and knowledge they need to redesign and recreate their lives.

Training and employment at the USTC allows women like Monique to work with dignity, provide for themselves and their children, learn new skills, and build a resume. Here they create beautiful items to be carefully and lovingly displayed in the WAR Chest Boutique. They experience the joy of seeing their own creations purchased and worn by other women who appreciate their artistry and value. Most significantly, they are given a chance to realize their own beauty and worth.

 

ShopToRescue_Page_3Enabling wounded women to embrace their intrinsic beauty and value is the ultimate goal of WAR, Int’l. When a woman understands her worth, she is empowered to break cycles of poverty and abuse and move forward. When she sees that she is not chained to her past but is a new creation, she is able to change not just her circumstances but the way she sees herself. In doing so, she embraces lasting change and a beauty that is worn not just on the outside but on the inside as well.

Launched by words of compassion and hope and created out of the need of one desperate woman, the program that has changed Monique’s life is continuing to give hope to other women. By enabling them to learn new skills, work with dignity, and recognize their beauty and worth, the Encompassed Creations program at the USTC is empowering women to leave behind their pasts, change their futures, and begin their lives anew.

published October 2015 | updated November 2019

Join the Movement: Wear Change

304

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.

–Mother Teresa

Uganda Stretch Bracelet—102382
Cascading Colors Necklace—103600
(Necklace—In-store Only—call 616-530-1234 to order)


The first step toward change is awareness.

-Nathaniel Branden

Green Infinity Scarf—104756

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

–Margaret Mead


The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking.
It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.

-Albert Einstein

Grey Knitted Infinity Scarf—103269

250


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They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

― Andy Warhol

Luxe Skinny Headband—104461


Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

–Barack Obama

Haven Necklace—104361
Haven Earrings-104550

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If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.

–Anonymous

Owl Backpack—102417
Large Handwoven Backpack-104274
(Lg backpack In-store Only—call 616-530-1234 to order)


To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

–R. Buckminster Fuller

CSC_0763


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Love can change a person the way a parent can change a baby- awkwardly, and often with a great deal of mess.

― Lemony Snicket

Children’s Little Lamb Coat—104574
(In-store Only—call 616-530-1234 to order)


What I like most about change is that it’s a synonym for hope. If you are taking a risk, what you are really saying is, I believe in tomorrow and I will be part of it.

–Linda Ellerbee

Arjuna Infinity Scarf—104682
Speak Up Bracelet—104371
Change the World Bracelet—104363
Tagua Nut Bracelet: Cream Rain Forest—104734

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You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

–Mohandas Ghandi

Metal Cuff Bracelet 4 inch–101079


And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time.

–Libba Bray

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White Ribbon Week – Pornography and its harmful effects

white-ribbon-weekPornography. What do you think of when you hear that word? For many wives of pornography addicts, this word sends chills down the spine. In fact, in a recent survey of 63 wives of self-identified sex addicts, 70 percent met most criteria for a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. When you think about porn, we bet you don’t think of PTSD.

Maybe you don’t know that two-thirds of women involved in the pornography industry in the United States also suffer from PTSD. Now, compare that with 11 percent of Vietnam veterans who struggle with the disease.

Contrary to our culture’s belief, pornography is harmful on many levels. For those of you who don’t know, this week is “White Ribbon Week,” raising awareness of pornography and its many facets. This week at WAR, Int’l, we want to draw your attention to pornography as an issue that fuels sex trafficking, child exploitation, and sexual violence.

In the last several years, porn has grown increasingly violent. In fact, 88 percent of all porn videos involve some kind of violence that can include slapping, punching, spanking, or gagging. The same study also showed that 49 percent of scenes contain verbal aggression, including name-calling.

One of the reasons porn flourishes in today’s society is because of its accessibility. Men and women no longer have to go to a store to rent a porn video or buy a copy of Playboy. Twenty years ago, those who bought porn did so by passing the magazine or video through the hands of a sales clerk. Today, this is not the case. The Internet can be a great thing, but with a world of information at our fingertips has also come the ability to bypass the average sales associate when it comes to purchasing porn.

It’s also important to note that 13 percent of all erotic, sexual searches on the internet in 2013 were for child pornography. Pornography is not an issue primarily focused on adult women. While pornography becomes increasingly violent, the desire for young children also grows.

Covenant Eyes, an organization which produces internet accountability software, recently did a study of 13-17 year olds that showed 83 percent of boys and 57 percent of girls have seen group sex online. Sixty-nine percent of boys and 55 percent of girls have seen same-sex intercourse online, and 39 percent of boys and 23 percent of girls have seen sexual bondage online.

This issue goes beyond choosing not to watch pornography. Do you know what your children are looking at online? Do you know who they are talking to? If recent studies show that 92 percent of teens report going online daily, and 24 percent go online “almost constantly,” parents need to become circles of protection around their children.

This week, we want to encourage you to start a conversation about the porn industry. Research this issue more on your own. This is the perfect opportunity to talk with your children about it and start an open conversation among your immediate family members. Being a safe haven for your circle of influence is a powerful thing.

 

TAKE ACTION:

Here are a few ways to combat the rise of pornography from right where you are.

  1. Wear a white ribbon or the color white throughout this week.
  2. If you are struggling with your own addiction, we want to encourage you to seek out a local Sexaholics Anonymous group. We want you to know you are not alone and there are people who want to help.
  3. If you are the spouse/significant other of an addict, start a support group. You can email info@warinternational.org for a resource guide.
  4. Develop rules in your house regarding internet use, and talk to your children and grandchildren about the dangers of pornography.
  5. Host a movie night with friends and show a film such as Somebody’s Daughter, The Price of Pleasure, or Nefarious: Merchant of Souls. Start a discussion within your own circle of influence.