“Providing women with a life of dignity through Christ-driven support, job skills training, educational opportunities, counseling, and crisis prevention.”
M.E.R.CY Workshop is a ministry that exists to provide women in the Dominican Republic a life of dignity. The Dominican Republic ranks 4th in the world in sex tourism and houses more than 25,000 children under the age of 18 who are involved in prostitution. The number one reason women prostitute themselves is to feed their families. Through M.E.R.CY Jewelry, women are rescued off the streets and offered Christ’s love and healing along with job skills training, educational opportunities, counseling, and crisis intervention.
We are so excited to introduce to you a brand new project that we are calling the Paloma Project! The Paloma Project will be safe housing for women who are victims of domestic abuse or stuck in an exploitive or addictive environment. Many of the women leave the streets, but continue in abusive and violent relationships. Or they are surrounded by predators and drugs that continually call to them. Set up as individual apartments, these rooms will provide a safe space for them to live and work as they begin to stand tall for themselves and their children!
“Paloma” is the Spanish word for “Dove.” In Genesis, after the chaos of the Flood, while Noah, his family and all the creatures were on the ark, Noah sent out a dove. The Bible says that she returned having not found a place to set her feet. He sent her out again and she returned with an olive branch, then one more time and finally she found a home. Paloma is also the name of a woman we met on outreach years ago. She was suffering on the streets and in chaos, but one day, finally, she went home to her mother’s house. She called us on the phone to tell us two things. She had accepted Christ while home because of the testimony of her mother, and that she was dying from complications of HIV. Her voice on the phone was peaceful. She spoke with touches of joy in her conversation.
The Paloma Project is named after this woman who found rest and a place to set her feet. Away from the streets back home with her family she was able to place her trust in Christ and finally set her feet in HIS presence. We are seeking to provide a short term home for the women needing to escape from their abusive and exploitive situations. They will live, work, learn and thrive in this environment. It will also provide a permanent home for the Mercy Workshop.
A Description of the property: It is a Strip of 4-6 studio apartments (possibly a suite with bathrooms in between two rooms) built with second floor row in mind. Simply furnished (Bed, stove, table, etc.)
Length of stay 3-6 months.
