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Transformation

Milagritos Dolores Lavado Rojasr

Milagritos (44), is a single mother of three children: Claudia (17), Marcos (5), and Alexa
(3). Her story unfolds in Chimbote, where she was raised with a strong foundation in
values and love for God. From a young age, she excelled as a dedicated and brilliant
student. Upon completing high school, her desire was to study Accounting. She
ended up staying in Chimbote and studying at the Universidad Nacional del Santa,
because of her commitment to staying and caring for her parents.
Milagritos began a relationship with Rudi and in 2006 she gave birth to her daughter,
Claudia. She was overjoyed but quickly began to experience Rudi’s true personality
and began to endure emotional and physical abuse. She struggled to sever ties with
this harmful relationship, but felt helpless! In 2018, Marcos was born, diagnosed
with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) at the age of two. Her third child Alexa was born in 2020. Certainly, Marcos’
diagnosis has emotionally marked the life of this family. Milagritos’ great challenge
is to give love to all her children and make them understand that she loves them
equally, but that Marcos needs personalized care.
Milagrito’s love for her children is admirable and despite the difficulty with the
father of her children continuing to not allow her to be free of his control: she stays
strong. Milagrito’s home was mainly built with mats, plastic, and adobe in some
parts of the walls, while the floor is made of earth with a section of cement left
by the previous occupants. Unfortunately, the deteriorated state of the materials
does not guarantee adequate development or safety for the family. Despite this,
Milagritos and Claudia have created an environment within those conditions that
Marcos can try to develop and control his stress due to his condition.
Milagritos situation like many other women in the area live in relationships where
control and fear creates huge barriers to them seeking help or escaping from
unhealthy situations. These barriers could include financial dependence, social
stigma, lack of support networks, cultural pressures, or even fear of retaliation from
the abuser.
Fast forward to June 2024...Milagritos was visited by an ACAF Social Worker and
upon evaluation she was given the news that she would be receiving a new home.
On June 15, 2024 a group of youth from Riverstone Church in Bismarck, ND arrived
at her home and her dream of a safe home for her family became a reality. The
experience with the Riverstone Church team from the states was life-changing for
all and forever friendships were created.
But the story continues...ACAF and Friends of Chimbote believe that in order to
create a true transformation the journey must keep moving forward. So not only
did Miliagritos and her family received a beautiful home, they now have begun
the process of developing life skills under the supervision of our professional ACAF
social workers.

Milagritos was selected to participate in a Women’s Leadership Training and the
transformation in Milagritos is remarkable. She is learning to have a voice! She
says, “I kind of feel important and feel proud. It is helping us realize that we are
worth more than we thought.” Milagritos is learning how to empower herself to
unleash her potential. She now belongs to a community of women and does not
have to do it all on her own.
This was more than just improving her living conditions, it was reclaiming her
dignity, rewriting the story of what was possible. For Milagritos, this moment was
a victory, not just for herself, but for the future she could now offer her children—a
future full of possibilities, not limitations.

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