This story was born as a dream that is real today !!!
The creation of the Foundation for Women Rebuilding Dreams – “FUDEMURESU” in Spanish – has proposed to bring together trained professionals willing to contribute to a non-profit effort that provides support in all spheres of the individual and their family: biological, psychological, social, spiritual and legal.
The proposal serves these vulnerable women by sowing an entrepreneurial mind that allows them to reinvent themselves and thus survive the abuse they have been exposed to. The idea is to heal their soul, forgive and continue a new path full of opportunities that generates income for them and their family. Finally, this restored woman can improve her quality of life and contribute as social capital.
I would like to tell you something about myself as a founder. At 16 years of age I was diagnosed with a disease called “Vasculitis”, which means an inflammation of both venous and arterial blood vessels, this disease affects different organs and tissues. A very difficult diagnosis for me, because very little was known about this disease.
Then my life changed completely, becoming the single mother of my first child. Alone, it was a very difficult and painful process for me, however with the goodness of God and my family I managed to get ahead. At that time, I did not receive the professional help I needed to create the tools I needed to face what I was experiencing.
I began to assume my role as a mother and continue technical studies, as a Health and Nutrition Promoter, followed by Fashion Design; I was especially passionate about design, my sketches were highly admired by my family.
As the years went by, when I was 26 years old, I fell in love and got married, but then separated after 3 years of marriage; and this because I was abused psychologically and emotionally. When I felt that I could not continue in this cycle of abuse, I firmly decided to separate and continue my journey with my children, without parental support.
And that is where a new dream flowed: becoming a Nurse. Because my mother, and a Nurse, an angel that God put me in my way, motivated me during that time that I worked as a nursing assistant in ISS. I started my studies at a recognized University on the Atlantic Coast of the country, in Barranquilla. Once I successfully completed my studies, I began my professional career as a Senior Nurse in different Clinics and Hospitals, I also worked as a teacher of hospital practices.
During this journey I worked for the Sanar Foundation, a wonderful experience that marked me a lot. I was able to acquire new values and develop them richly while administering chemotherapy to Children and Adolescents with Cancer.
At this time I had achieved many personal and family goals; but I felt the need to share my life with someone. So I met a new love and decided to create a family again, at first it was all wonderful and I had everything a woman could wish for. But when we began to live together, I was again emotionally abused, a situation that led me to a degree of depression and despair. After having a life of dreams, I came to lose the desire to live. Only when I felt desolate, hopeless and in a pit of despair did I seek professional help and finally by raising my gaze to God and breaking my heart before Him, was I able to get out of that relationship.
The Lord, in the middle of this process, showed me the vision for this Project and by the Grace of God, He has lifted me up, has healed me and I have been able to forgive those who once hurt me, because God is Love.
Despite all these experiences of abuse and mistreatment that I have had, today I can say: I have received the blessing of God! He dried my tears, and every day I see His blessing my life. I learned to be a stronger woman, to fight for my own and to be at the feet of my Creator.
Today I just want to continue to be inspired, following the call of our Lord Jesus Christ, fighting for my life, my family and for all the women who have been mistreated and abused – to be a testimony of life because I carry Christ in my heart.
Martha Lucia Caicedo Gómez
President FUDEMURESU