"I heard her story during field conversations connected to research, education, and community accompaniment work in Medellín. She did not come to denounce anyone, nor did she ask for help. She came with a story already shaped by repetition, by hours that mattered too much, and by days that never fully ended. She spoke as someone whose life had learned to count time differently, not in weeks or months, but in what could still be protected until tomorrow."
"She began, as many mothers do, with her children. Four small lives defined the perimeter of every thought she carried. They slept in the same house where she sold clothes during the day, a home that shifted identities according to necessity. At night, it was shelter. In the morning, it became survival. Dresses hung from walls that once held drawings and family photos, and toys were moved aside to make room for customers."
An informal lending practice called gota a gota enforces daily payments and interest, creating a relentless rhythm that governs life. A mother with four children balanced selling clothes by day with parenting, transforming her home into both shop and shelter while debt determined daily decisions. Fear accumulates gradually and becomes routine, reshaping perceptions of time, safety, and choice. Borrowing often appears reasonable amid hunger, eviction, and school fees. Loans arrive faster than banks or public institutions, offering immediate relief while initiating chronic coercion. Chronic financial coercion disrupts cognition, sleep, and future planning, and psychological repair cannot begin while active threat silences autonomy.
Read at Psychology Today
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