Boutique RORO commemorates the spirit of Roro, a young woman who was beautiful and who loved beauty.

Roro died at the age of 29. Her story is all too familiar - a troubled spouse who was in and out of jail for abusing her. A legal system and a society that could not protect her. A final tragic ending.

Spousal abuse knows no national boundaries. For families, friends, and communities such cases cause untimely loss and leave gaps that can never quite heal.

But the spirit of Roro is not about sadness. Her beautiful spirit transcends what happened to her. So many women suffer from abuse. Sadly our society still tolerates abusers. But women are strong and their strength is constant even in the shadow of abuse.

The RORO Foundation is being established to help preserve Roro's. It will fight the pain of spousal abuse and support activities and causes that will help the Roro's of our community write happier endings for their stories.

by Alice Major

Alice is the author of nine collections of poetry and was the first poet laureate for the city of Edmonton.

To visit her website please click here