Tatiana still remembers the sounds of the day that changed her life forever:

“You could hear laughter and voices of children playing in the cement patio of [my] rented house. A teenager, one of the oldest in the group, suggested [we] play hide and seek.”

But the innocent children’s game quickly turned into a nightmare.

“[He] suggested that his room will be the perfect place to hide, as none [would] find [us] there. And that is exactly what happened. No one found [us].”

Tatiana became a victim of sexual violence at just four years old.

“For years, I dealt with trauma manifested in guilt, anger, feeling helpless, and even identity loss.”

But thankfully, her story doesn’t end there.

With the generosity of people like you in hand, IJM is able to support a variety of groups dedicated to building communities of survivors who encourage and support one another.

Tatiana is actually a part of a group like this called Mi Historia Importa (My Story Matters). For the first time, she feels like she’s part of a real community—one full of support and encouragement:

“This group has given me the hope I need to know that I can enjoy my life,” she says.