The director of La Alianza Guatemala was awarded the Olof Palme Prize on November 5 in Barcelona. The medal was presented to Carolina Escobar Sarti in recognition of “her career and her courageous work at La Alianza, but also to raise public awareness of the deplorable social and human conditions in which so many young girls in Guatemala live—girls who, despite the difficulties, are trying to break free from these circumstances thanks to the effective support provided by La Alianza.” (Remarks by President Anna Balletbò Puig during the ceremony).
On this occasion, and with great emotion, we turn the floor directly to Director Carolina Escobar Sarti:
I come from a turbulent background. I was born the same year the civil war began in Guatemala (*editor’s note: 1960), and although no one in my family ever spoke of it, it definitely shaped my outlook on life. The first time I saw bodies piled on top of one another, lifeless, on the side of a road, I was just a teenager. My great-grandfather, whom I loved so much, was an ambassador, lawyer, and writer; he was one of the signatories of the “Memorial of the 311” to oust the dictator Ubico in 1944, just like my great-uncle, who was also a signatory to the memorial and served as a lawyer and minister of economy and labor. Political discussions were very lively in our family, but they remained within the walls of our home for fear of reprisals. I am the youngest of five children; we had a happy childhood, filled with artistic, athletic, and cultural activities. Very early on, I began writing verses on the walls of my bedroom, and I still do so today on the walls of my home. I have published several books of poetry, and I have been writing newspaper columns for 26 years. I grew up in a deeply conservative, patriarchal, and sexist country, where fathers yelled at mothers, men beat women, and women’s bodies were treated as spoils of war, belonging to everyone. I became aware of women’s rights at a very early age, and this awareness has stayed with me throughout my life.
In 2010, I became the director of La Alianza, and since then, I have had legal responsibility for more than 700 young girls (as well as many of their children) who have passed through La Alianza. It is intense and exciting work.
I can assure you that no two days are alike at the shelter, but the common thread that ties them all together is the intensity of each one. And even though the schedule has been set for weeks, everything can change in an instant. A teenager might have cut herself, or brought a knife onto the shelter’s premises, or simply want to talk to me in my office.
Our work is essential because La Alianza has become a model for comprehensive care for children and adolescents thanks to an approach that has proven effective both nationally and internationally. We have demonstrated that a comprehensive care system works when it is based on the following pillars: prevention, protection, access to justice, and advocacy. Our approach is based on human rights, not on charity. The children and adolescents in our care are at the heart of our work, and it is sometimes difficult to talk about results and metrics when we’re talking about human beings. But we believe that beyond all the professional and technical skills we may have, what matters most is love and respect for each of the young girls in our care.
Carolina Escobar Sarti
, Director of La Alianza Guatemala
