They call themselves "the Butterflies."
And that's not just wishful thinking.
When Gloria Amparo, Maritza Asprilla Cruz and Mery Medina sweep into NPR's bureau in central London, they are indeed as beautiful as butterflies: bright clothing, big beaming smiles. They look around in wonder at the newsroom spread out before them, laughing and joking as I make them a cup of tea.
Yet these are women who've led tough lives — born into Colombian society, where violence and abuse are commonplace.
In 2010, they started a group they call "Red Mariposas de Alas Nuevas Construyendo Futuro" — "Butterflies with New Wings Building a Future." Their goal is to support women who are victims of abuse, educating them about their rights and helping them report sexual crimes to the police.
Now they have been recognized for their activism. In Geneva last week, the Nansen Refugee Award — honoring humanitarian efforts for refugees and displaced people — was presented to the Butterflies. "These women are doing extraordinary work in the most challenging of contexts," said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres. "Their bravery goes beyond words."
The Butterflies are based in Buenaventura, the country's main Pacific port, home to about 340,000 people. Although the port is an important part of Colombian industry, 80 percent of its population lives below the poverty line. Of those, 20 percent live in extreme poverty. Social services are either scarce or nonexistent. Violence is part of the daily scene. Illegal armed groups battle against each other. Since 1997, turf wars between gangs have forced 5.7 million people to flee their homes. Eighty percent of the displaced are women.
[For more of this story, written by Rich Preston, go to http://www.npr.org/blogs/goats...scuing-women-in-need]
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