Nivasa Foundation
Beatrice Fernando is a survivor of slavery. After answering an ad for a local agency looking to employ housemaids, she took a job in Lebanon. She wanted to make enough money to provide for her young son in Sri Lanka. But her employment agency was running a corrupt scheme to lure young people into slavery. When Beatrice arrived at the home of her supposed employers, she was forced to surrender her passport, work twenty hour days, and was never paid. She was forbidden to leave the house. The woman of the house beat her and refused her anything to eat. Desperate to escape her captors, Beatrice made a decision she thought might mean the end of her life.
She jumped off a fourth floor balcony to escape. She lived, but she soon realized that she was paralyzed. Today, Beatrice lives in Massachusetts and is able to walk and function normally. But Beatrice realized her story is not unique. Finally able to tell her life's story, she published her memoir in a book entitled In Contempt of Fate and published a chapter in Enslaved, an anthology of contemporary slave narratives. She also founded Nivasa Foundation, an organization with a mission to end the enslavement she suffered.
Nivasa Foundation seeks to break the cycle of modern day slavery for women and their children in Sri Lanka. The Nivasa Sponsor a Child program provides financial support for victims of human trafficking to help them raise and educate their children in Sri Lanka. By working in conjunction with local organizations which assist with the rehabilitation of victimized women and their families, the Nivasa Foundation provides hope and help to those who need it most. Our mission is to educate people at home and abroad about the dangers of human trafficking and modern-day slavery and help victims live in dignity and freedom with the ability to provide for their children and their future.
I am a miracle of God, he has given me the strength to walk again and to be his witness!