Tears roll down her face. Through the sobbing, she describes how her family has suffered at the hands of one of the world’s deadliest street gangs. She pauses for a minute, catches her breath and wipes her tears.

Lorena* is a mother of four. She lives with her husband Julio and children in a densely packed slum around San Salvador, one of the most violent places in El Salvador.

The family used to run a small store out of their home. In January 2013, gang members showed up at their house and demanded payment.

The family agreed to pay out of fear. When they didn’t have cash, they would hand over some of their inventory. They were threatened with death if they reported the acts to the police.

The gang members kept coming for months, until one day Julio told them that they could no longer afford to pay. A few days later, 20 armed gang members arrived, banging on the door and demanding the money.

Read the full article by Michelle Centeno about gang violence from UNICEF