Karidat’s Guma’ Esperansa marks 10-year milestone

Yesterday marked the 10th year of operation of Guma’ Esperansa or “House of Hope,” the only shelter in the CNMI for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking and their children.

Shelter manager Lauri B. Ogumoro recounted how the Guma’ Esperansa facility was created through a federal grant administered by the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. and appropriations from the Legislature.
Ogumoro
was then a part of the board of directors of Karidat Social Services, the nonprofit organization approached by former NMHC executive director Marylou S. Ada to operate Guma’ Esperansa.

What started as a place of safety run by only three staff and funded by one grant has since then flourished into a full-scale shelter operated by a 13-member team of workers and subsidized by eight various federal grants, Ogumoro said.

“Karidat Social Services took on the challenge of operating Guma’ Esperansa and has never looked back,” she added.

Humble beginnings

Ogumoro disclosed that Guma’ Esperansa opened up for services on Sept. 21, 2001, initially to serve victims of domestic violence.

“Now, we also serve survivors of sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking,” said Ogumoro. “We serve men, women, and their children and we have a whole range of services for them.”

These services, Ogumoro said, include counseling and the recently funded transitional housing program, which provides housing support to victims for up to 24 months to help them become independent and live violence-free lives.

Ogumoro said the most important service they provide is giving these victims the chance to get a good night sleep to help them make a better decision for themselves and their children.

“A lot of times, they can’t sleep because of the abuse and the violence and their fear. When they know they’re safe, they can make a better decision. We help people understand their options, what’s available in the community, and the different things they need to move on with their lives,” she explained.

Ogumoro noted that some of the victims choose to go back home so they try to help them with “safety planning” or how they can be safe even if they’re back in their homes.

“We’re not about breaking up families,” she emphasized. “We want people to understand that you can’t live with someone when they’re hurting you.”

According to Ogumoro, the challenges of operating a 24/7 shelter for women, children, and some men are outweighed by the joy of empowering the victims to live violence-free lives. “While the work of Guma’ Esperansa is never easy, it is intensely gratifying.”

Ten years since the shelter was created, Ogumoro said they have served over a thousand women and men, excluding their children. At present, they are serving eight women and 11 children at the shelter and some 80 people in the community.

“We hope that we’ve lived up to our name as the House of Hope,” said Ogumoro.

Support network

Ogumoro said that the public has become more aware and informed about Guma’ Esperansa and the valuable work it does for victims of violence.

“It’s known to the community as a place where you can at least go and try to figure out what you want to do and what’s your next step. That’s important,” she said.

She attributes this to the help of the community. “We’re thankful for the community for having supported us and understanding the value of a place for victims of violence. We can’t do it without the community. There are no words but to say that we’re just blessed.”

She said no specific plan has been made to mark House of Hope’s 10-year milestone.

“Because we’re so busy, we haven’t had time to really come up with a celebration other than just honoring ourselves and the work we do. We’re thankful for having a safe place for victims to come,” she said.

Guma’ Esperansa will soon start a 40-hour sexual assault services program training for 30 to 40 volunteers so they would know how to help sexual assault survivors who come to them to seek help.

Ogumoro urged the public to refer victims of violence to Guma’ Esperansa’s hotline number, 234-5100.