“I had to make changes, help in the community, dependence fosters abuse”

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Yadira on her birthday. An example of improvement and a person who really cares about the community. (Photo Yadira Gudino)

Yadira Gudino, the health promoter at East Los Angeles Women’s Center, born in Jiquilpan, Mexico, has been able to overcome a story that many women face. Not only that, but she has also rebuilt, as a single mother, a family with her three children.

“There is always hope; you have to be strong, fight, and find help,” says Gudino.

The mission of the East Los Angeles Women’s Center is to ensure that all women, girls and their families live in a place of safety, health, and personal well-being, free from violence and abuse, with equal access to necessary health services and social support, with an emphasis on Latino communities.

Not only that, but she worked tirelessly, alongside a group of ‘promotoras’ during the pandemic, to help women who, due to lockdown, suffered domestic violence like never before.

“The increase in cases was incredible; the number of women in danger rose alarmingly,” she adds.

Rarely as a journalist has a woman’s story impacted me so much – her sincerity, her heart, and dedication to the community.

“I had a very difficult childhood; my father was very violent, treated us very badly, perhaps because we were women and he wanted sons. In the house, we had to wait for him to finish eating before we could eat what was left. My mother suffered blows with the bean pot; we had to wait for her to open the door when he arrived on his motorcycle, or else he would beat us,” she adds.

She has also rebuilt, as a single mother, a family with her three children. (Photo Yadira Gudino)

However, she acknowledges that her father also taught them to be self-sufficient.

“I can fix things if there’s a problem at home, change a light bulb, and be self-sufficient,” she says.

But her father left a mark on her.

“I didn’t want to have a boyfriend; I was afraid they would be like my dad. My mom always told us that we had to marry someone much older for security, but it was a mistake. My dad didn’t drink much. (The few times he drank he was a better person) sometimes I think he was neurotic or something else because his actions towards us were bad.” she adds.

Juan Escobedo, the founder and director of The East LA Society of Film and Arts (TELASOFA), says that Gudino is a woman so beautiful inside and out, truly concerned about the community.

“She has overcome and listening to her speak is an inspiration,” he says.

Yadira, with great compassion, recalls part of her life.

“My father would leave us without money or electricity, saying he didn’t want to waste money; childhood marked our lives, and that hurt us a lot,” she adds.

But it also generated a spirit of generosity.

“If I see someone struggling, I try to help them,” she says.

“We are six siblings; I was ‘la más miedosa’,” she mentions.

At the age of 17 she decided to go to Tijuana.

“I was 13 years old and worked at a very popular pharmacy in town until I was 17 years old.  I saved some money and the other part my grandfather, my mother’s father, gave to me so I could buy the bus ticket to Tijuana. My grandfather wanted to save me from living with my parents, he said that my mother was also guilty for not defending us”, she adds.

“It seemed like a very big city; I didn’t even know how to cross the traffic lights. They told me not to cross on a red light, and I didn’t understand, I would cross it, and the horns would start honking. At first, I thought they were calling my attention, I said to myself, ‘tomorrow I’ll wear the same clothes,'” she says, laughing.

Later, She arrived in Anaheim and then moved to East Los Angeles; that boyfriend who met her mom’s standards turned out to have problems with alcohol and drugs; he also abused her.

“I justified it; I knew he was doing wrong. Later, she found another partner with whom she had a similar experience,” Yadira adds.

The group of Promotoras contra la violencia y de salud del East Los Angeles Women’s Center. Who have become guardian angels for the community. (Yadira Gudino)

She went to a shelter; they advised her to leave her abuser. She wanted to be independent, although she felt alone.

“Many times, we make plans, but things don’t turn out as we think; I was homeless for a while,” she says.

Until she found East Los Angeles Women’s Center, who helped her.

And she joined the group of Promotoras contra la Violencia y de Salud. Who have become guardian angels for the community.

“I had to make changes, help in the community, mental health issues, dependence fosters abuse,” she says. “We don’t have to be dependent on other people.”

And she has done it.

“You just have to look for it and have the desire to change,” (Photo Yadira Gudino)

“I have learned to handle it; I was scared at first. I learned that the car is not important; it’s how we feel that matters,” she says.

She likes talking to people, explaining that there is a solution.

“You just have to look for it and have the desire to change,” she concludes.

Teddy Valenzuela: “We strive to provide care, to help them start over again”