TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Tucson mother who lost her daughter to domestic violence now runs a nonprofit to honor her and help others. She’s looking to make a difference across the entire state.
It’s been six years since 18-year-old Rosaura Barbosa’s life was cut short.
Her ex-boyfriend was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to domestic violence and second degree murder.
“It’s still hard. Every day is hard,” Rosaura’s mother, April, said in a sit-down with KGUN. “There’s a hidden aspect to our community. People hide about being abused. They hide it from their families, they hide it from their loved ones. Because either they’re embarrassed or they’re scared… With Rosaura, there were no signs of abuse.”
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April and Rosaura’s father Joe Barbosa decided to fight the culture of fear around domestic abuse.
“Me and him, we’re like, ‘No. We’re gonna go in these neighborhoods and make a difference…’” said April. “We would… go in houses where the abuser was at, and help them pack up and help them leave.”
April went on to start the nonprofit Justice for Rosaura, which has already helped people across the state. She keeps building it into a better resource.
“We do peer support, because there are survivors out there that aren’t able to leave the people that are hurting them,” April explained. “We are there for them. I check up on them every day.
“I got my Bachelor’s degree and now I’m working on my Master’s degree in nonprofit management and leadership. Because I want this to succeed and I want this not to just disappear.”
Justice for Rosaura is now partnering with groups in the community, like the Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse.
“Now [Emerge is] gonna be training all my volunteers, like every three months, to be state-certified domestic violence advocates,” said April. “We’ve been interacting with everybody, but we need more knowledge.”
And April is now reaching even higher. She has already been in touch with the federal government and now is pushing to get a state law passed in Arizona that would require healthy relationships and teen dating violence be addressed in schools. It’s based off of a similar law already passed in Alaska called “Bree’s Law.”
This would be known as “Rosaura’s Law,” aimed at saving lives while giving Rosaura a lasting legacy.
“I’m gonna do this til the day I die and I’m gonna make sure that I’m doing big things,” said April. “Because my love for my daughter just feeds that fire.”
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Ryan Fish is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9 and comes to the Sonoran Desert from California’s Central Coast after working as a reporter, sports anchor and weather forecaster in Santa Barbara. Ryan grew up in the Chicago suburbs, frequently visiting family in Tucson. Share your story ideas and important issues with Ryan by emailing ryan.fish@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
