September 2023

September 2023

STANDING TALL

Talkin' to myself and feelin' old
Sometimes I'd like to quit / Nothin' ever seems to fit
Hangin' around / Nothin' to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down
Karen Carpenter, Rainy days and Mondays

I’m currently in beautiful, sunny California on work and have been meeting some of the amazing people that have supported the women in our Sanctuaries over the years as well as the fantastic team who work with us - bringing our mission to life with unwavering passion. There are a few exciting weeks ahead and I’m looking forward to all that’s in store. However, I know I’ll be happy to head back to my family at the end of this trip.

When I travel for a holiday though, I am rarely excited to come back to the city. Getting back to a hectic routine, traveling in the dust and humidity of the rush hour does not feature on my list of priorities! I want to live in the place I’ve visited - enjoying that leisurely pace of life and holding onto the memories a little longer.

Though the context is different, the feeling is similar when an injury forces me to stay in bed for extended periods - I can’t wait to be up and about and live as I did before. The reality though, in both instances I don’t really have much of a choice.

The women we work with in our Sanctuaries, have a similar mindset - but multiplied in such intensity as a result of the trauma they’ve experienced.

Forced to be where they did not want to be. Forced to live a life they did not ask for. Forced to accept the lie that - no one would heed their cries, because no one who cares for them. These have caused such deep scars that many times (like Karen Carpenter sings) ‘they’d like to quit’.

Here's where International Sanctuary steps in. We walk alongside these incredibly strong souls as they confront their past and, step by tentative step, reclaim what was stolen from them. Equipping them through education, mentoring, counseling and workplace skills - the tools with which they reshape their lives everyday and set their course for growth.

Growth, that helps them discover their incredible capacity, dignity, the ability to choose and a community that's rooting for them. They are reclaiming their lives, and you play a significant role in cheering them on.

So, if you'd like to support these remarkable women on their journeys, please reach out to me or our team. We'd love to chat and welcome you into our community of changemakers. Together, we can make a real difference.

Thank you!

Max Fernand

Executive Director

I used to not care about education and what would happen to me ahead,
when I joined here I realized that I have my entire life ahead of me and it is wise to invest for my future and who I can grow into.
- A woman from our Sanctuary in Mumbai, India