Article January 1, 2001 Issue

Woman her undeniable worth

Mary Metzner Trammell, William G. Dawley

The old pickup truck — loaded with mattresses, plastic bags of clothing, and a few sacks of groceries — chugged to a halt in front of the Instituto, a shelter for battered women in downtown Montevideo, Uruguay. A young woman timidly stepped out onto the sidewalk, clutching her little boy's hand.

Within five minutes, the driver emptied everything in the truck onto the sidewalk and drove off. Standing in the midst of all her possessions, the woman didn't know what to do. One by one, people came out of the Instituto to help carry her things inside — and up a dark staircase. The little boy stood guard on the sidewalk.

Finally, gathering up the last sack of food, the woman took her little boy by the hand and disappeared inside. The Instituto door bolted shut — CLANK — behind them. And mother and son went forward into a new life.

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