To my brothers,
The past few months have been beautiful and painful and my favorite time of life so far.
The safehouse we’ve been spending most of our time is home to about thirty girls, all there for different reasons. Some have sexual abuse or rape in their past, while others went through physical abuse. Whatever their stories may be, they all needed a safe place to call home.
These girls have been hurt by the men in their lives; fathers, stepfathers, brothers, uncles. While they’re now surrounded by a community of supportive sisters to help them heal, the abuse isn’t a rare situation for the tons of other girls not only throughout these villages but all over the Philippines, the States, and the rest of the world.
The worst part is that so much of their pain comes from the men that should be loving them, teaching them how to be loved.
This is where I want to thank you for the men you’ve been. You’ve protected me. You’ve respected women, teaching me to respect myself. You’ve taken care of me. You’ve taught me to be independent and not settle for less than I deserve.
Men like you exemplify the respectable men these girls need in their lives. I’m so, so sorry they haven’t had such wonderful male influences, but so thankful to have an opportunity to express what a good guy looks like. All thanks goes to you.
