Our motto at Amsterdam Mamas is “even in the city, it takes a village.”
And sometimes in that village, things can get very serious.
In this episode, Amsterdam Mama Jemyrr Gavino shares her story of experiencing domestic abuse as an international mother in the Netherlands, and how she bravely reached out for help from Amsterdam Mamas.
We discuss the obstacles she faced seeking resources and support as a non-Dutch speaker, statistics about domestic abuse in the Netherlands, and Jemyrr’s new foundation for English speaking victims of domestic abuse in the Netherlands, ARISE.
Jemyrr came to our attention through our Mamas in Need service, wherein we post anonymously to our FB group on behalf of any of our members experiencing a crisis situation.
In 2013, Amsterdam Mamas supported 7 mothers, including Jemyrr, who experienced violence in their relationships. Two of whom were residents in emergency shelters with their children by the end of that year.
It is part of the behind the scenes of running Amsterdam Mamas which we rarely talk about, mainly for the safety of the women involved. Our admins are briefed on best practice and have resources at their disposal to help direct people in need.
If you are a parent in the Amsterdam area in need of help for any reason, please reach out to us confidentially at community@amasterdam-mamas.nl.
Producer’s Note: Listener’s may find the topic discussed in this episode distressing. We would advise that you do not listen to this episode with young children present. If you wish to share the episode with older children we would recommend listening to it first yourself so that you can prepare for any questions that they might have.
Show Notes:
ARISE NL : email ariseamsterdam@gmail.com Twitter @ARISENL
VeiligThuis Hotline: 0800-2000 (free, 24/7)
Information on domestic violence in the Netherlands from WAVE
AM article on reporting domestic violence and child-abuse
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Donna Bardsley
Donna Bardsley is the travel-loving mother of three homebodies who hate to leave the house. After living in Amsterdam for six years, she has recently moved her family back to the US where she is experiencing all the joys of reverse culture shock.
