Luna (name changed) is a 15-year-old girl who was trafficked and found in a different country. Now rescued, she lives in a safe aftercare home in Central America. Luna just recently had her quinceañera! Quietly confident, like the moon, she brings light and tranquility to those around her.
We recently were providing follow-up support with Luna and supporting her aftercare journey. The aftercare home does an amazing job at providing ongoing therapeutic activities, so we joined Luna and the other survivors for one of their gym classes. Luna was very skillful during the difficult workout. It was inspirational to see her exemplify the principles of releasing and spending energy, and gaining confidence that she has control over her body, and no one else.
Afterward, we were celebrating over dinner with the survivors. As all of the children were enjoying the chicken, we all shared stories and socialized.
Luna stood up and confidently announced, “I play guitar!”
We told her saying this means an invitation to play will follow. She was happy to play for us.
As Luna started to play, the other girls joined in. It was amazing to see Luna using the power of music and creating a joyful noise for others, and how confident she was in herself to play for us unsolicited. As Luna played, she didn’t wait for applause and went right into her next song. We told her she should wait in between songs so we could celebrate her talents! She then would confidently wait between each song for applause.
Despite going through a horrific experience early in her life, Luna now uses many methods to be happy, such as physical fitness and sharing her love for music. She shares the happiness with others around her. Luna illustrated great confidence to play in front of 20 people, but showed her humility as well in her approach to sharing her talents. Luna continues to be a leader and inspiration to those around her and shows us that we can rise above hard experiences and turn outward to help others.
— The O.U.R. Aftercare Team
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