By Rachita Mukherjee | Project Coordinator
“My mother got re-married and I felt like it was the happiest day of my life since I will have someone to call father. I lost my father while I was eight years old. My mother used to look after me and two of my brothers while we were staying at our maternal uncle’s house. Often our uncle used to insult my mother because she could not contribute much to the family expenses. Then, she started working as a house help in a few households and started earning money. After a few months my mother and I started living separately and she got remarried to another man. Although initially, I was very happy and felt like he used to care for me; gradually he started abusing me. He used to beat me up when my mother was not there and sometimes used to touch me inappropriately. I told everything to my mother but she did not say anything rather told me to ignore it. I used to be very scared every night whenever my mother was not around.
Most of the nights, he used to abuse me physically as well as sexually. I felt devastated since my mother never supported me instead chose to remain ignorant. My life was painful and I couldn’t bear it anymore so I decided to run away. But, the question was where and how! I couldn’t see any other option other than my maternal uncle’s house. So, I fled the next morning when I left for school. I ran like there was no tomorrow and reached my maternal uncle’s house and poured out my traumatic experience to my aunt and she was furious. Jabala Action Research Organisation runs a Child Protection backup centre in the same slum where my maternal uncle’s family lived. My aunt helped me out and took me to one of their staff where I cried my heart out and told everything to them. Then I was taken to the Child Protection Committee where they shifted me to a shelter home. I felt a little secured but often I would get nightmares and felt very scared during night. I was unable to talk to anybody and used to feel very angry often. Jabala Action Research Organisation facilitated a lot of regular counselling sessions for me, where I used to talk to the counsellor. She was very helpful and caring so I felt light to open up to her.
She used to encourage me to participate in the activities and also motivated me for re-enrolling in school since I had dropped out in class IX. Since I had shown keen interest in higher studies; so I was transferred to their Crisis Intervention Centre where I stayed for a period of 1 year with other working survivors. I was re-enrolled in a reputed Girls School and also took part in various team activities where I learnt to dance, sew, as well as other soft skills like a basic computer. After I completed my Board exams, I wanted to go for vocational training to become self-dependent. So, Jabala Action Research Organisation admitted me to a housekeeping management program where I was trained for a period of one year and then placed in a reputed hotel. I have been working there for a period of three months now and earn 9000 INR per month. I have groomed up myself starting from my dressing to my attitude towards other people.
“I am confident and self-dependent. I do not have to worry about compromising anymore. Jabala Action Research Organisation has guided me throughout this journey and I can finally say that I am living my dream and working in a reputed profession. It not only helped me to overcome my trauma but also encouraged me to move on in life and leave my worries behind.
I am extremely thankful to all of you for extending your support and helping me out to enjoy the little happy things in life. You all have helped me to move ahead in life and it has a different meaning for me now.”
Mousumi Islam, a girl from Rampurhat, Birbhum.
ALL IDENTITIES AND DETAILS OF THE RESCUED SURVIVOR HAVE BEEN CHANGED DUE TO PRIVACY POLICIES.
Support is always crucial and 'You' deserve all the credits—there are many more miles to be covered and Jabala knows she is not alone.
Jabala believes in assessing the needs of the survivors and then provides them with the required counselling and training. Rehabilitation of the survivors means to restore them to a useful life or a better condition, through quality care, counselling cultural & sports inputs, education, health support, income opportunities and social security.
Jabala through its Economic Empowerment (EE) program incorporates building sustainable livelihoods, improving financial and household decision-making strengthening household assets and increasing household economic resilience.
By Baitali Ganguly | Executive Director
By Baitali Ganguly | Executive Director
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