Vision for a Safer World: Dairyland Takes its First Vision Trip to Guatemala
In 2024 Dairyland provided its first opportunity for employees to take a Vision Trip: an immersive cross-cultural experience of our humanitarian partner’s work. This past September, four team members spent a week in Guatemala learning about the work of International Justice Mission (IJM), why it matters, and what it is making possible to build a safer country. They share about this rich experience here.
Guatemala is an extraordinary and beautiful country with a complicated history and complex challenges, particularly when it comes to safety for women and children. Sexual and physical violence are all too common. In some neighborhoods, 1 in 4 adolescent girls is a victim of sexual violence. When IJM began working in Guatemala in 2005, human rights experts warned them that the system was beyond fixing, as they believed that change was impossible.
Today, despite the odds, IJM has facilitated a scaled response that is rescuing victims, bringing criminals to justice, restoring survivors, and strengthening justice systems. They are intentionally working themselves out of a job as they equip government and nongovernmental partners across Guatemala to sustain and increase justice. IJM is collaborating across three neighboring countries – Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador (known collectively as the Northern Triangle) – to bring stability and safety throughout the region. Dairyland has provided financial support for IJM’s work in the Northern Triangle, making a visit to the area especially significant to us.
IJM’s Guatemala team, a group of 42 national lawyers, case workers, investigators, and advocates were generous hosts throughout our time, eagerly sharing about their model that has proven effective time after time. They shared stories of victims who are healing, survivors experiencing post-traumatic growth, and tangible data showing that more people will never experience violence through coordinated prevention efforts.
“Our Vision Trip with IJM was a powerful experience, marked by connection with incredible people and a deeper understanding of IJM’s impactful, community-based approach to justice. The trip balanced challenging encounters—like learning about heartbreaking realities and navigating language barriers—with hope-giving evidence of substantial progress and deeply passionate engagement that strengthened my confidence in IJM’s work. I left with a deeper commitment to their mission and gratitude for the experience.” – Amy Wedell, Sr. Manager of Programs & Systems
During our visit, we spent time with members of the IJM team practicing language, sharing stories and photos, and bonding over delicious food (a favorite meal included chile relleno, elote, tostadas, horchata, and steaming rice pudding) as they helped us understand their work. We were introduced to scaling partners like the Instituo de la Víctima (Victim’s Institute) and SVET (Secretariat against sexual violence, exploitation, and trafficking in persons). On two occasions, we had the honor of meeting with survivors.
First, we were invited to Mi Historia Importa (My Story Matters), a network of survivors led by survivors that are bringing awareness, healing, support, and empowerment to other women. Their names and the specifics of their stories will not be shared to honor their protection.
The second opportunity involved a special ceremony where four young survivors were celebrated with a pinning ceremony, honoring the courageous steps they have each taken in their healing journeys. Examples include testifying against a perpetrator in court or starting counseling for the trauma. Pride swelled from their faces and IJM’s Country Director, Juan Miguel Rivera, shared that this is often one of the most memorable moments of their lives.
“We invest in Vision Trips because few things can more powerfully speak to our vision, values, and philosophy of using business for good like learning firsthand, building personal relationships, and immersing ourselves cross-culturally. I took this same trip five years ago and was shocked by how much has changed for the better because of IJM’s faithful, persevering presence. It is an honor to be a witness transformational change and the people working tirelessly to make it happen.” – Kailey Tachick, EVP of Finance, Systems, and Culture
We could share many stories and reflections (and do with the broader Dairyland team). We returned more deeply aware of suffering in our world, full of conviction about the success of IJM’s model in action, and hopeful about how safety is indeed becoming more available for women and children in Guatemala. It reinforces Dairyland’s vision of making a safer world and our own contribution to it as we strive to contribute to the company with excellence.
