My name is Maria Luisa. I am 16 years old and now I have someone who stands for me.
When I was only 9 years old, I lost my mother and my family was very poor so I went to work as a maid for a family. They promised me that I would go to school and they would give me food to eat every day, but soon afterwards I learned this wasn’t true. I was forced to work all day long and I had to do it quickly or they would yell and beat me. One time I was beaten so badly that a worker from Friends of Terre des Hommes noticed me and offered me protection. That same night I was transferred into a child protection center for children who were exploited as domestic slaves. Since then my life has changed.
The Friends of Terre des Hommes center gave me the support necessary to go to school and I received my diploma. Now I am no longer scared, and my dream is to help defend other children forced to work and deprived of a childhood.
Stand with me against child slavery.
Maria Luisa.