7 SutiSana ladies need your help!

Dear faithful supporter and friend,

SutiSana, the social enterprise of Word Made Flesh Bolivia, is in a critical state. And I’m writing to ask for your help.

I realize you are bombarded with petitions, and life can be overwhelmingly busy. I recognize it's uncomfortable to both ask and be asked. But I ache for the 7 ladies we currently employ, who without your help, may lose their jobs and possibly return to the streets.

SutiSana provides dignified employment for survivors of prostitution. After 10 years of work with prostituted women, WMFB founded SutiSana to meet a specific need: a safe and just work environment, with a strong supportive community and continued opportunities for growth.

And if I can be honest, we started off naïve and hopeful, but without the hard skills needed to launch a social enterprise.

Every time I visit the brothels, I meet another woman who’s a potential candidate for employment. And as I listen to her story, it takes all my self-control to not offer an alternative through SutiSana.

We are paralyzed by our financial reality. And that stings.

But we remain equally passionate, and sales are improving daily. We're working with a business consultant and creating a long-term plan. We're in the process of hiring stellar staff who can facilitate financial stability.

WE SIMPLY LACK THE FUNDS TO COVER SALARIES AND THESE INVESTMENTS.

As we restructure and improve, we still have 7 women in our care. SutiSana was not designed to be a transitional program, as employment options for an uneducated former sex worker in Bolivia are miserable at best. We are committed to seeking abundant life. And though we’re wary of the savior complex, the opportunities outside the business are slim to none.

This video highlights how SutiSana is one integral piece towards abundant life, particularly for Ada, Diedra, Eva, Faustina, Fiona, Rita and Sara.

I wish you could see the transformation in their lives! How far they’ve come, how they overcome obstacles every day. They’re leading their families in a new direction and are near to the Lord. Rita leads production. Fiona is studying for her high school diploma. Quiet Ada now speaks up.

WITH $20,480 WE CAN KEEP THESE WOMEN EMPLOYED, AND DO IT WELL. Without these funds, we will need to scale down employment in proportion to our finances. And we're heavy with the potential consequences of that.

We know that God may have already used you in mighty ways to support this ministry, and this is precisely why we feel compelled to share the current situation with you: both for financial transparency, and in hopes that the Lord would move through generosity. Please consider what the Lord may be asking of you.

On behalf of the whole WMFB community, thank you.

Andrea Baker
Co-Director l WMFB