By Erika Narkiewicz | Digital Fundraiser
Our partners acted quickly when, due to the coronavirus, lockdown was imposed in India. The girls and women were able to remain living at the shelter, in their safe space that provides security. Some staff volunteered to move into the shelter for the period to ensure the girls had the support they need during this time and that as many studies and activities could continue. We are so thankful for this and can share with you a case study of one of the young women benefiting from the project. This is a powerful account of abuse and identities have been protected.
Meena (name changed), 20, came to the project in October 2019. Brought to the project by railway police, Meena had left her family home in Punjab due to abuse received from her stepmother and addictive behaviour from her father. Meena was married off as a 13 year old child. Meena had 2 children with her husband by the age of 20 and was forced into the sex trade by her her mother-in-law whose home she now lived in, with the pressure of being the sole financial provider for the family. Due to the trauma of this situation, Meena ran away and tried to end her life but missed her children greatly, so returned home to her husband and mother-in-law. Imprisoned in her home upon return, Meena escaped again and this time to Mumbai, where thankfully she was directed to our partners and safety.
Your donations fund the shelter that Meena arrived at, the educational workshops that the shelter professionals provide to police authorities to encourage referral to the service- as happened in this case- and the physical, emotional and psychological rehabilitation that is desperately needed following such trauma as Meena experienced.
Within a few weeks, Meena’s mental health was noticeably more relaxed and she has been engaging in group sessions and non-formal education. Her ambition is to start a new life of financial independence once she is recovered, to use staff support to gain her documentation from her husband and custody of her children.
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