Save runaway girls from human trafficking

This is the courageous story of Minati, a 28-year-old woman from Rabale, Navi Mumbai, who displayed immense bravery by standing up against the abuse of her 6-year-old daughter within her own family. As a member of the marginalised Dalit community, Minati faced numerous challenges throughout her life, including caste-based discrimination, physical and sexual abuse, and emotional trauma. Her pursuit of justice led to significant personal sacrifices and emotional turmoil.

Minati's childhood was marred by casteist slurs, harassment from neighbours and various forms of abuse. Having lost her father at a young age, she witnessed her mother's struggle to support the family due to a lack of education and skills. After enduring abusive relationships in two marriages, her situation became unbearable when she discovered her own daughter was being sexually abused.

With the guidance and support of Urja, our hostel project for runaway women, Minati took the brave step of raising her voice against her brother-in-law's actions. She left her marital home and family to ensure her daughter's safety, knowing the emotional toll it would take. Thanks to the help of URJA who assisted the police, local MLAs and intervention from her own family, Minati filed a case against him.

The journey was physically and emotionally taxing, both as a woman and as a mother. However, her unwavering determination to seek justice for her daughter kept her going. After six months of relentless fighting alongside the project staff, their efforts bore fruit as her daughter's abuser was arrested and found guilty.

Although justice was served, Minati continues to grapple with feelings of insecurity, anxiety about her daughter's future, and a sense of loss. To overcome these challenges, she is seeking psychiatric and counselling support provided by URJA. She strives to rebuild her life independently, leaving the past behind while focusing on her own healing and her daughter's well-being.

Minati's story is one of immense courage and resilience. By standing against her own family in the pursuit of justice, she shattered the silence surrounding child abuse and sent a powerful message that no one is above the law.

As she embarks on her journey to rebuild her life, Minati remains an inspiration for survivors of abuse, reminding us of the importance of seeking justice and the support our project provides to women in the community to heal and move forward.

 Thank you for your support!

Bhavna is homeless with nowhere to go. She has 3 children with her, begging on the streets. She fled home to Mumbai as her husband struggled with addiction issues and neglected them. She had no choice but to leave in search of a better future for her family.

When she was a child, she was arranged to be married due to her parents being poor and unable to provide for her. This happens too often to young girls across South Asia. Her new husband’s family were abusive, and she returned to her parent’s house a few years later. Soon after, when she went back to the father of her children, she only met the same cycle of abuse.

Bhavna heard about our project and sought refuge in our centre for women.

She began therapy to process the trauma she had experienced throughout her life and slowly began to heal. The project team entered her into an educational programme from the hostel so that she could study whilst looking after her children. After completing an employment questionnaire, it said she was best suited to become a teacher or a jewellery designer! Bhavna is now completing her education to become a schoolteacher. She wants to give children a new start in life.

When she first arrived, her children were malnourished. Now, they are back to optimal health, receiving nutritious food and safety, basic rights for all children.

Bhavna can now live outside of society’s pressures. Both times she was married due to other people’s needs and now she can be independent and provide for her children on her own.

She is currently seeking a divorce and the project team are supporting her with this.

Thanks to you, women like Bhavna can heal in a safe space and pursue their independence.

Links:

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