"I’ll never go back there"

"“I didn’t go back because my mother said “here we’ll get by one way or another”. So I started a business which is what I live off now."

“When I left for El Salvador I had three children.

I went to work to provide for them and so they would need for nothing.

I worked as a waitress which went well initially, but I soon felt bad because I was told to drink with the customers, I decided to do it so I could earn extra money. I was drinking up to 25 beers a day and it was starting to affect my life.

There were customers who wanted to touch me, but I told them “I’m serving alcohol not my body” and turned away. The owner told me “attend them well, I don’t want any complaints about you”. I told him, respectfully, “sorry, but I’m here to wait tables” and they respected my attitude and how I responded.

The owner didn’t let me go out with any customers, because he liked me. He gave me so many gifts and treats that I ended up getting involved with him and became preganant. I had a baby girl, later I left my baby here in Nicaragua and went back to work there again. When I arrived I went back to work in the same place but things were different. The owner didn’t want me to sit with anybody and he put me to work on the till, I was supposed to be in charge. When I came back to Nicaragua on a trip I was invited to a meeting of the Jesuit Refugee Service. I was named vice coordinator and decided not to return to El Salvador. I didn’t go back because my mother said “here we’ll get by one way or another”. So I started a business which is what I live off now.

I met a boy and he helps me take care of my children and thank God I don’t think about going back to El Salvador. The truth is I am learning a lot about how to help people who don’t know about the Jesuit Refugee Service. We have seen situations where a family member has died or families who don’t know how to get their relation out of the country. We join together with them and help them by explaining about the laws affecting illegal immigrants.”