Gender Equality India Project #43207

Save runaway girls from human trafficking

by Karuna Trust

Save runaway girls from human trafficking

Project Report | Apr 29, 2021
Pooja's challenging journey to recovery

By Erika narkiewicz | Digital Fundraiser

Our partners in Mumbai support girls and women with a range of complex needs. Many have run away from abuse or to avoid arranged marriages, others are in equally vulnerable situations and exposed to risk of kidnap and trafficking. Here, Charu shares the journey of Pooja, so far. This highlights the long-term support need for complex abuse and vulnerability and the multi-agency work undertaken by our partners.

Your support helps ensure girls get the time, specialist care and resources needed to break free from abuse.

CW, descriptions of substance and sexual abuse

"Pooja (name changed), age 20, came in contact with our project when she was 19 years old. Pooja has studied until the 10th grade.

At 17, she was exposed to alcohol and drugs, eventually getting addicted. When she left her home one day with a boy, her parents filed a complaint at the police station. The police soon found them, the boy was arrested and she was kept at a children’s home. She was admitted to a hospital for counselling and treatment for her addiction. She was treated there for three months.

Following this, she started feeling pain in her stomach so she went to a clinic. But after sending her back, the doctor visited her at her hotel. When Pooja and her friend left the hotel and started staying at a friend’s sister’s house in Mumbai, the doctor would visit them frequently. Once, he invited them to the club and drugged them without their consent. When they lost consciousness, he took their videos and started to blackmail them. This horrific experience of abusive power repeated with a Police Officer.

When Pooja went back to her house, suffering from severe addiction, Pooja began to steal money from her father. Her parents did not know how to deal with this or how to help her. Her father eventually filed a complaint against her at a Police Station where the Police then referred Pooja to our project. When we met Pooja, she was in a toxic relationship with a boy who used to force himself on her and record videos to blackmail her. He was threatening her that if she didn’t marry him, he would show these videos to her parents.

We started supporting Pooja by working on her addiction with a psychiatrist. She was attending counselling sessions and taking medications. She survived a suicide attempt during her treatment when she tried to consume all her medications at once. Her further treatment was continued at a hospital.

We had consulted with a residential addiction centre for Pooja’s treatment, however, the process got delayed as her mother was tested positive for COVID. Currently, Pooja is at home with her family. We remain in touch with Pooja and her family during this time and continue to support them."

While Pooja's story is far from over, your support ensures our partners are engaged and supporting rehabilitation, providing expertise and advocating for Pooja's care. Thank you.

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Jan 21, 2021
Journey with Homeless Young Women in Mumbai

By Erika Narkiewicz | Digital Fundraiser

A fresh update from the Project Team at the women's shelter in Mumbai that shares their resilience, hard work, vision and optimism for 2021.

"We are looking forward to the new year with renewed vigour and energy, ready to take on new challenges and explore collaborations to facilitate the journey of homeless young women.

The year has been tough on the young women, with loss of jobs, little or no savings to cover their expenses, and tide through the pandemic. Livelihood opportunities are still hard to come as male candidates who are being given preference with limited employment resources.

Since March we reached out to 309 young women facing violence and /or Mental Health issues. We supported 225 women with essential food and health items, rent, gas, and phone recharge.

Through posters and online discussions, this year, as part of the global campaign on Elimination of Violence Against Women, we addressed the serious issue of the rising pandemic of violence against women within the pandemic. We also spoke about civil rights or women and strategies to work with men and boys to promote gender-equitable attitudes and behaviour. We had speakers from varied backgrounds, ranging from individuals working on the ground to government officials from the District Legal Services Authority, such as Judge and Secretary, Mumbai Suburban DLSA.

The purpose of this campaign, which we do each year, is to share information and advocate for the rights of the marginalised through awareness sessions. This also strengthens our partnerships with various stakeholders such as the police, government department officers, and the community where the young women will eventually live.

For this campaign and more, we are supported by and are part of the Maitri Network, a collective of organisations that work towards amplifying voices of the marginalised.

We truly appreciate you, our well-wishers, donors, and volunteers who have been our constant support and part of the journey of homeless young women throughout this year. We wish you a great year and are excited to have you be a part of our work to amplify the voices of homeless young women in 2021.

a BIG THANK YOU for supporting us!

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Sep 30, 2020
Helping women escape violence: how social media can be a force for good.

By Erika Narkiewicz | Digital Fundraiser

Finding the courage to seek help.

Social media can be a powerful tool for good. During lockdown in India, rates of domestic abuse have risen. Eighteen year old Mithila (name changed) contacted one of our projects via Instagram with a distress message. A team member’s number was quickly given to Mithila, asking her to call or message whenever she felt safe to do so. The following highlights the urgency of need during lockdown and how quality, swift support can make the critical difference.

Mithila’s mother is a survivor of 25 years of severe domestic abuse from her husband and later also by her son, Mithila’s brother. Now 50 years old, she was afraid to talk. Mithila explained the situation had worsened due to lockdown, where her father had kept both her and her mother locked in a house away from their home, at a location which they were not very familiar with. This was done with threats and by being kept watch over by Mithila’s brother.

Mithila stayed in touch via messages. When asked, her mother told us even their extended families, both maternal and paternal, refused to intervene. Our partners liaised with One Stop Centre (a government scheme for women that enables intervention in a crisis situation).

Following the conversation with the team at One Stop Centre, they immediately went to Mithila’s place pretending to be doctors who had come for a health check up and made contact with Mithila, taking her consent to rescue her. Finally, Mithila and her mother reached our safe shelter. Both Mithila and her mother are now safe and recovering from the abuse they endured. They are also receiving legal support in order to protect others from abuse and to seek justice.

Your support helps women like Mithila and her mother, funding interventions and long-term recovery from abuse.

With gratitude,

Erika Narkiewicz

www.karuna.org

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