Rescue sex workers & at-risk children in India

Thank you for all your support in changing the destinies of marginalized children and women. Although we aim to help all those who need our assistance, the foundations of Snehalaya are based on rescuing children and women from the hardships and exposure of living within red light communities in our district and beyond.

Breaking the cycle

While our younger children have recently returned to school and our older children are making their final preparations to start college next month, we have been conducting outreach visits to sex workers to offer their children a safe and secure home and education. As a result, we have recently welcomed another 28 beneficiaries to our Rehab Center where they have also been admitted to our English Medium School.

We firmly believe that education can help break the cycle of exploitation and violence that goes hand in hand with prostitution. With your continued donations we can ensure those within our care are given every opportunity to complete their studies and progress to college and university, opening up more choice in their own futures.

The results

Therefore, we are very proud to announce a 78% success rate for our 10th Standard students this year. A special well done to Sonali who received top marks overall. She has overcome her own personal challenges whilst completing her studies. Recently, while undergoing routine medical treatment, it was discovered she was HIV+. She was admitted to our Rehab Center to receive specialized care and support and, thanks to an intense programme of counselling and emotional guidance from our caregivers, she is adjusting well to her new home and diagnosis. She is now focussed on completing her studies in commerce and the future your support is providing her. You’ll also be pleased to hear that we achieved a 100% pass rate for our 12th standard students who are now busy preparing to start college.

Fighting for education

As part of our ongoing support to girls and women we have joined the year-long campaign, Students Stand #WithMalala (SSWM), a collaboration between Malala Fund and Participant Media, to empower the next generation to raise their voices for all girls’ rights to 12 years of free, safe and quality education. Since our launch in November we have shared Malala Yousafzai’s story and campaign with over 27,000 people. On 15 June, our Rehab Center children added their voices to the campaign, taking part in our showcase to celebrate the conclusion of our roadshows within Ahmendnagar District. They performed three dances highlighting the hardship women worldwide face on a daily basis.

One of our newest admissions, a brave young woman called Anjali also took part in the programme by sharing her own story. Anjali and her parents were tricked into an arranged marriage with a violent husband. Three days after the wedding she managed to escape and fled over 120km back to her parents' house in one of the villages we were screening the Malala documentary. Inspired by the film and Malala’s personal story, she came straight to our office where, thanks to your donation we were able to offer to support her to complete her studies. She is now looking forward to her new life at college training to become a social worker.

Anjali says: “If a 12 year old can do all of this for her education, I can fight for mine too. Thank you for your support in helping me to take back ownership of my life and education.”

Read more about our campaign to stand #withMalala here.

Links:

• Read more about our campaign to stand #withMalala here.