United Caribbean Trust women and infants special help centre The WISH Centre proposal

The key objective of Women’s Inner Spiritual Healing centre , is to facilitate trauma resolution, self empowerment, and to foster healing and positive development for the young women entrusted to its care.

United Caribbean Trust (UCT) is seeking funding to provide a facility that will cater to the needs of sexually abused teenaged girls, women who have grown weary of a life of prostitution, and young pregnant females who see abortion as their only option.

• Sexual Abuse
The issue of abuse, and specifically sexual abuse, when left unchecked is a greenhouse for dysfunctional adults. There is a chronic problem of child abuse in Barbados, especially sexual and incestuous forms, which has affected a significant number of families in the island. Although there is an agency (the Child Care Board) legally vested with the child protection mandate in Barbados, there is still a great need for an organization which will focus on the rehabilitation of victims after the trauma of sexual abuse.

Minister of Youth, Family and Sports, Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo, told the GFBC News Network that children in the country are being abused frequently, and in many different ways. “Every month the Child Care Board gets new cases of children who have been abused in one way or another – sexual abuse, physical abuse, children who are victims of domestic violence, emotional abuse, abandonment and neglect,” Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo said.

• Prostitution
Although the subject of prostitution is one that is very controversial, the reality is that it exists here on the island. The illegality of prostitution in Barbados, does not deny that the practice is known and common. Streetwalkers or workers in night clubs have been known for years and have developed and maintained a steady clientele. However, the occupation of being a sex worker is increasingly becoming a cause for concern as the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other STDs/STIs continue to wreak havoc in our country. Another branch of this issue which is now raising its ugly head is that of human trafficking. Barbados has recently been put on the US’ human trafficking “watch-list.” This has come against a backdrop of reported cases of child prostitution, domestic servitude, stepfathers and other adults coercing children into “transactional sex”, and the involvement of Guyanese criminals linking with Barbadian and Trinidadian pimps to lure foreign women into the country with offers of legitimate jobs. Just as with the matter of abuse, if left unchecked, prostitution in all its forms will contribute significantly to the moral, emotional and mental break-down of many young women of our society.

ECPAT (2008) suggests that areas of rapid industrial development are often associated with a growth in sex markets to provide sexual services for construction workers, miners, workers from international companies and so on. Teenage girls in particular are often targeted for exploitation and even when foreigners move out, the sex markets often remain and are used by local men (ECPAT, 2008).

For many women who are being forced to prostitute themselves, or for those who have grown tired of the lifestyle, a safe, loving, non-judgmental, empowering facility is necessary.

Partnering with other Barbadian ministries that have a heart for this cause, such as ‘Street Gospel Ministries’, UCT has identified the need for a ‘first stop’ house to be established in the heart of the red light district of Bridgetown.

This will be run by Street Gospel Ministries working in association with UCT and will provide a safe house for prostitutes to visit, to rest, to be refreshed and counseled. It is here that the staff will identify those women that want to come out of this life style but have nowhere to live and no means of supporting themselves or their children other than prostitution. They would be interviewed and introduced to the ‘Women’s Inner Spiritual Healing ( WISH) centre.’

A property has been identified in River Road which is an ideal location for such a ‘first stop house’, the cost to purchase is US $100,000 and further improvements would be needed to prepare it for its new use estimated at US $50,000. This will be Pearl House

Project PEARL involves the struggle to help women involved in prostitution realize their true beauty and worth and to release their true potential. It is being initiated with the hope that the pain and irritation of prostitution will give way to the beauty of lives reborn, renewed and restored.

Goals
The project seeks to:
1. Bring about awareness of the evils of prostitution
2. Highlight the damage prostitution cause to the individual and the community
3. Reduce the level of prostitution on the streets
4. Assist women desirous of changing their lives
5. Enable women to transition successfully by providing relevant resources

UCT is very results oriented and after rehabilitation we are seeking to provide homes for the women that have gone through the ‘Women’s Inner Healing centre’ programme. In efforts to ensure that our clients do not go back onto the streets we are looking to establish a ‘Women’s Transitional Home Complex’.’ UCT believes that it is the right of everyone to have a decent home, providing safe, clean housing for their families. We believe that the home is a key catalyst to break the cycle of poverty. With this in mind we are looking to establish a Pilot Project at Fortesque building 40 starter ‘Modular homes’ See page 27 for further details.

• Abortion
It has been said that here in Barbados, the number one cause of death is abortion. That is, most deaths these days in Barbados do not come from heart disease and chronic non-communicable diseases, but rather, many aborted ones make up the staggering numbers. Death statistics here on the island do not take into account abortions, but abortions in Barbados have become somewhat commonplace with the number one abortion provider being that of The Barbados Family Planning Association (BFPA). Sadly, this practice will continue and become even more accepted because the laws of the land do not see the unborn child as a person. The termination of pregnancy policy of Barbados allows an abortion on the following grounds: to save the life of the woman; to preserve physical health; to preserve mental health; rape or incest; foetal impairment; and economic or social reasons. Many teenagers in Barbados, teens and young adults can fit many of the pre-requisites. What is not taken into consideration often times however is the guilt, shame and self-hatred many females face after such a procedure. The aftermath of this course of action, more often than not, is nothing short of devastating. What the Women’s Inner Spiritual Healing centre will provide is an alternative for young women who may see abortion as their only option.

Women’s Inner Spiritual Healing centre proposes to facilitate the healing and positive growth process of women through the following strategies:

• Group-based psychotherapy (This is particularly powerful because they are exposed to other victims and subsequently do not feel alone.)

• Cognitive therapy (This will be aimed at identifying victims’ distorted cognitions of themselves, others and the world and attempts to replace these with more accurate and realistic cognitions.)

• Behavioural therapy (This will focus on enhancing the clients’ behavioural repertoire through the acquisition of more adaptive behavioural responses, coping strategies and learning new skills.)

• Art Therapy (This provides increased catharsis, cohesion, and insight in group therapy, as well as raising self-esteem, reducing depression, validating clients and more.)

• Vocational training (This is to equip the young women and to encourage entrepreneurship and self dependency.)

• Medical treatment facility (As a result of sexual abuse, abortions or prostitution, medical attention will be necessary eg. Pap smears, STD's/STI's tests etc.)

The issues highlighted previously are in need of dire attention. Because of the sensitive nature of each problem, a compassionate and loving environment, with the correct resources is imperative. Presently in Barbados there is no agency which caters to these specific needs women experience. Facilities like Verdun House, Teen Challenge and the Barbados Homeless and Vagrants’ Society have been made available for men facing a variety of problems. Likewise, a centre is needed for women on the island. The Women’s Inner Spiritual Healing centre is ideal for addressing the issues emphasized, in efforts to prevent many of our young women from developing into dysfunctional adults in our society.

There is a chronic problem of child abuse in Barbados, especially sexual and incestuous forms, which has affected a significant number of families in the island. Although there is an agency (the Child Care Board) legally vested with the child protection mandate in Barbados, there is still a great need for an organization which will focus on the rehabilitation of victims after the trauma of sexual abuse.

Reports from the Child Care Board demonstrate that within the gender distribution of child victims, girls are over represented in the overall figures. The figures further established that almost 55% of child abuse victims are female.
The tragedy is however that many of these abused girls (who usually become very dysfunctional) go on and will go on to be mothers and caregivers of the next generation of citizens of this great country.

The Child Care Board in Barbados admittedly indicates that child care officers questioned the Department’s ability to adequately address the volume of child abuse cases coming to the attention of the agency. The Agency has been calling for a therapeutic facility to address the needs of emotionally disturbed children as well as those who have conduct disorders.

In Barbados, although there is known sexual exploitation of children, there remains the challenge of developing and implementing long-term programmes and legislation to protect citizens from any form of exploitation.

Research has shown that most women who work as prostitutes have been physically or sexually abused as children. Prostitution is frequently alluded to as one of the possible long term effects of the sexual abuse of children. Several authors assert that prostitutes have more often experienced incest and forced intercourse than non-prostitutes. Thus, women who were sexually abused as children are more likely to become involved in prostitution.

With the rise of human trafficking in Barbados and the Caribbean region, there are also many women being raped and forced into a lifestyle of prostitution. STD's/STI's, abortions, mental and emotional trauma become increasing health challenges for these women and ultimately for our country. Furthermore, because of the stigma and discrimination directed towards prostitutes, many of them (those forced and willing) are usually very reluctant to seek medical attention. This then poses a serious health risk to many on the island. For those females who desire to turn away from the practice of prostitution, economic concerns may cause them to feel trapped. Thus, by providing vocational training and empowerment for these women, Women’s Inner Spiritual Healing centre will facilitate their transformation.

By considering this project, you will be facilitating the journey into uncharted waters and contributing to the development of the first ever Women’s Inner Spiritual Healing centre in Barbados. Ultimately it will be facilitating the restoration and transformation of many bruised and broken lives in Barbados.

• US $1 million for Property Development to enable this project to be partly sustainable This property development has been highlighted below in ‘The Plan’ and will enable UCT to cover the annual costs of Utilities, Project Administrator, Secretary, UCT Administrator and property manager and Resident Caretaker/Maintenance person as well as feeding 40 women taking part in the program.

• US $150,000 to purchase and renovate ‘Pearl House’ the first stop home for women coming out of prostitution.

• US $139,700 the Agro Project within The WISH Centre this will be an example to teach the youth within the Centre and the community about improved food security and improved nutrition as well as enable us to be self sufficient within the Centre.

• US $1,000,000 to build additional ministry properties These will include an Educational Complex - WOW TEC (Women Of Worth Teaching Empowerment Centre) a Day Care for the Elderly to house 28 elderly ladies. A home for 12 victims of Domestic Abuse. A facility for the Baby Foster Care and a Child Care Centre. This will also enable UCT to build various small staff quarters including one for the resident security man and his family as well as one for the resident landscaper and maintenance man and his family.

• US $325,000 Initial running cost (Donation pledged from a local Barbadian Memorial Fund)

COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT NEEDED: US $1,000,000 for Property development to enable this project to be partly sustainable This property development has been highlighted below in ‘The Plan’and will enable UCT to heavily subsidize the annual costs of running The WISH centre.

• The 14 acres development would be subdivided into 4,000 - 6,000 sq foot house plots (for duplex properties)

• 20% of the land would be reserved for infra structure including roads and recreational children’s playing area.

• Resulting in 11 acres of land for land development a total of 124 properties

•A recreational football field will be constructed to the north of the Chapel.

• Building the first 816 sq ft show house on Phase 3, this will second as a site office.

• The Building System offers a complete line of pre-engineered and precut home and garage packages, utilizing Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) technology. The Snap-N-Lock™ Panel has an expanded polystyrene foam core with aluminum or steel exterior skins. Resulting in energy efficient building panels.

All packages erect quickly, are stronger than conventional framing and extremely energy efficient they are also hurricane and earthquake resistant.

1. We believe, due to market research, that the youth of Barbados will quickly grasp the opportunity to purchase these lovely, reasonably priced properties and we are aiming at selling them quickly once the first show house is erected.

2.We estimate that following the sale of Phase 1's 33 properties the investor will realize a profit of 10% on the initial US $1,000,000 invested over a two year period.

3. The remaining properties in Phase 2 will be sold to realize a profit of US $2,000,000

4Using this profit UCT will build 25 properties costing US $70,000 including fencing, washing machine, cooker and fridge. This will be rented out on a monthly basis to cover UCT's basic costs of up keeping The WISH centre.

This is an awesome opportunity and we hope we can partner with you to establish this first ever ‘Women’s Inner Spiritual Healing centre ’. We hope you have caught the vision and can assist us with this worthy cause.

Contact us

The WISH Centre

Accommodation

Goshen Conference Resorts

Supporters

United Caribbean