Make 50 Survivors Of Violence Work Ready

"I can never forget the dark period of my life when I had lost all hope or any desire to survive anymore. I felt like my life was a living hell for the past six to seven months. Finally, there was a raid in the brothel and the Mumbai Police Department rescued me from there. After that, I was transferred to Jabala and they re-unified me with my family.

To start with, I was married to construction labour at the age of thirteen years and bore a child while I was fifteen. My health condition was not at all good and my husband was not able to provide me with proper health care facilities due to extremely poor financial conditions. Since I gave birth to a daughter, my in-laws were not at all happy with me and that gave rise to a lot of unnecessary brawls and a lot of abuse and domestic violence. I couldn't take it anymore and decided to return back to my parents with my daughter. At first, everything seemed good but gradually it was becoming extremely difficult for my father to support us financially.

So, I started working as a maid in a few houses to provide proper care and health facilities to my daughter. On the other hand, I was looking for better opportunities to earn more so that I can provide a good life for my daughter. While working I made a few connections and got a job opportunity in Mumbai where I had to work as a house help.

I was quite happy and readily agreed to shift their but to my shock, I was trafficked instead and sold to a pimp. I had to spend seven months in pain and fear where I was abused physically as well mentally and was forced to do certain things. But, finally, when I was rescued by the police and shifted to Jabala home, I was dying to meet my daughter. Jabala helped me to return to my family but it was a complicated and challenging situation where the society was not ready to accept me and I had to hear a lot of lude remarks and comments. Jabala taught me never to lose hope and through various counselling sessions, I could finally be vocal and express myself. I knew that my life was my choice and all I dreamt was to provide a good life to my daughter by providing her with the best education as well as health care facilities.

Jabala helped me reach one step closer to my dream by providing me with special livelihood training for security guard services. After I completed my training I got a job in a reputed mall as a female security guard where I earned 8000 Rupees per month. After my three months of probation ended I got a hike and am currently earning 9500 Rupees per month which has helped me to become independent and take proper care of my daughter.

 "I am a confident and independent woman now and I can finally fulfil my responsibilities towards my daughter. I thank you all for your immense support and or helping me out to overcome my stress and trauma. My life is my choice and I choose to be self-sufficient. I believe someday I can become a successful mother by providing the best life to my daughter"

Minu Basak (A girl from Midnapur, West Bengal)

All details of the survivor are changed to keep their identities protected.

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. 

Links:

• Jabala's Official Website