Cintia's Story

Cintia, a young girl living in Monteverde with her parents and 6 siblings, was at the school from the beginning, always smiling, always helpful, always special to Rod and Nancy.  And then they found out her background, and that her father had died.  Some time after that, a new stepdad moved in who didn’t like Cintia.  He picked on her and accused her of stealing things. 

In November, on my trip, she wanted to meet with Rod and Nancy.  She told them that she needed a new place to live because her stepfather was beating her,  because she would not give in to his sexual advances.  She felt unsafe and that he might try something more.  They suggested she live with an older married sister.  They didn’t have anywhere for her to go.

The following week, Cintia was beaten and raped by her stepfather.  Flabia (a friend of 2^nd Mile) found out and took her to the city to a safehouse and helped her press charges against him.  Because of the charges, her mom and stepfather left, but Cintia stayed for 2 or 3 months at the home in the city.  She was afraid to go back to Monteverde. 
When Rod and Nancy were back in March, she came back.  She tried to live with a sister and her husband in a one room house but ended up living with Pascual (the pastor) and his family for several months so she could finish school.  This school year she does not yet have the papers necessary to go to school.  But when she gets them, she’ll attend the adult school.  She is 16.  In the meantime, she’s working at the 2^nd Mile school and living with a different sister and husband.  Cintia was kind of the push for exploring the safehouse/orphanage idea.