Reducing gender-based violence and improving trust and social cohesion in La Reforma

Trust After Betrayal worked in Sinaloa within a fishing community that was a narco ghost town. Having become an operation ground for cartels, the entire economy of the community had grown around the cartel presence. However, when the coast guard or military became aware of the drug operation, the entire economy of the coast community collapsed as the cartel was eliminated. However, even after the cartel had left, there was a lot of drug addiction that had developed, concomitant with gender-based violence, growing impoverished conditions, a significant lack of job and education opportunities, as well as challenges with the quality of education.
SUCEDE, an NGO working in the community, implemented the Escuelas de Perdón y Reconciliación (ESPERE) program for the women of the community. The program had an immensely positive effect in terms of reconciliation with self and sense of self-worth among the women, and SUCEDE wanted to expand and invite the men of the community into the program as well. SUCEDE in collaboration with Trust After Betrayal did another ESPERE process involving the men of the community. The TAB project involved them in a participatory research methodology where the shared idea was reduction in gender-based violence and promotion of social cohesion. Through active community participation and engagement, we developed metrics for understanding the measures of success as well as the process by which that would be achieved. The community elected to create a documentary of the ESPERE process, which is ongoing as we continue to work with the community.