Karen (left) with her mother Leidy outside their apartment in Cali
When Karen first got involved with this project, the truth is that I was scared. I didn’t know what it was about, and also with all the daily insecurity here in Colombia things were unsettled. But afterwards, when I saw the change in her, I was very grateful.
When I was her age nobody spoke to us clearly about sexuality.
They didn’t talk to us about family planning methods or any of those things, so the truth is that I was embarrassed and afraid that my daughter would start asking questions about these things and I wouldn’t know how to answer them properly. In that sense I am very grateful because now she is teaching me.
I feel very grateful to Si Mujer, as they have also helped her to teach her friends and peers about these issues. I’m so glad Karen has had the opportunity to interact with other young people her age, and to learn more about important issues.
Our family is very Catholic and in our religion abortion is a sin. Karen spoke to me about the church allowing abortion in some cases and I trust her a lot, she knows a lot. She knows more than us, we have not been able to study for various reasons. Thank God my daughter does have this knowledge, so I give her credit for what she tells me, because she has studied and knows what she’s talking about.
The most important thing that Karen has learned from Si Mujer is that she counts and that we as a family can rely on their support.
Si Mujer have always been attentive to us and we have to be very grateful for that, because during the pandemic they have looked out not just for her but also for all of us, and they have really helped us a lot.
The changes in my daughter have been great. She has learnt a lot, and she’s been able to relate to others. She has seen many places and has participated in various events she would not normally have access to and for that I am very grateful.