In 2008 the Sister Nelly León, of the Congregation of the Good Shepherd, and the Father Alfonso Baeza they shared the conviction of promoting the dignity of women deprived of liberty and restoring their rights as persons. They founded a foster home just steps from the women's prison in Santiago and became Woman Foundation Get up.

Photo: Anniversary Woman Get up. Credits: Karen Kreutzberger.

Currently, 10 years after its creation, the foundation has worked with more than 500 women who are or have been deprived of their liberty in the San Joaquin Women's Penitentiary Center. They implement a process of psychosocial accompaniment that begins while they are imprisoned and is projected until they are free.

"The basic purpose is to reduce the risk of recidivism in crime, which in the case of women with whom we work is only 6%. In addition, we have a temporary residence for those who have no place to live when they leave prison or do not want to go back to where they were before being imprisoned, "he says. Sergio Chacón, Executive Director of Woman Get up.

Over these 10 years, Sergio highlights the consolidation and systematization of technical work supported by a model based on evidence, the extension of work to the cities of Chillán and Concepción, the beginning of the work of a specialized team in the post-prison phase and the incorporation of a former participant of the program as advisor to the Board.

Photo: Anniversary Woman Get up. Credits: Karen Kreutzberger.

Woman Get up is one of the 44 organizations that make up the ColungaHUB community, and in 2015 they were supported by Fundación Colunga through the Strengthening Fund.

"Colunga has been fundamental in the development of Mujer Rise up, not only because of the confidence placed in our work, but because they have invited us to dream differently and have accompanied us on the path of making those dreams come true," says Sergio.

By 2022, Fundación Mujer Levántate hopes to expand its work in the cities of Valparaíso and Antofagasta, and implement a specialized post-prison accompaniment component, with a strong emphasis on labor intermediation and which will also include a mentoring program for each woman.

Photo: Anniversary Woman Get up. Credits: Karen Kreutzberger.