Make 50 Survivors Of Violence Work Ready

"I had to get rid of the daily brawls and extremely poor living conditions of my home. Most of the days, I had to sleep on an empty stomach because my parents couldn't afford food. Both my mother and father were daily labourers and I had two younger siblings. I was studying in class VIII and had just come back home from school one fine day. My neighbour 'Joya Mashi' had come to visit me at that time and she was so well dressed up with lots of jewellery that I ended up asking her where did all this come from? She told me about her beauty parlour in Delhi and how well it was running but she also offered me an opportunity to go there get trained and start working there so that I can also live a good life and support my family as well. I was just sixteen years old and the idea of a glamorous life filled my face with glee. I immediately agreed without thinking about my parents; Moreover, she also said that she had already talked to my parents about it and they were more than happy to send me given the economic condition of our family. So, I went to Delhi with Joya Mashi and I couldn't stop my excitement when I set my foot in the city. Her house was so big, it seemed like a palace for me and I saw so many other girls working there. 

I was very nicely treated for the first week but after that, she started forcing me to wear revealing clothes and I was often displayed as a showpiece in front of unknown men which made me feel very uncomfortable. I started protesting and thus started my living hell! Every day I was tortured and beaten up by her and a few other elder girls unless I did exactly as I was told by them. I started hating my life and wanted to end it within a period of six to seven months. I used to cry myself to sleep every night and tried a lot of time to run away but never succeeded. After eighteen months, there was a raid and I was finally rescued by Delhi Police. My condition was so bad that I had to be admitted to a hospital for a few days and finally, I was transferred to Jabala Shelter Home when I told them about my native place and my family. When Jabala tried to contact my family, my father was not willing to take me back although my mother really wanted me to stay with them. So, I stayed in Jabala's shelter home for a period of one year where I was given a lot of counselling sessions to overcome my stress and trauma. The most disheartening part about this painful journey was my family's reaction when they saw me back. I never expected my father to ignore me in such a bad manner. It took me a while to overcome my fear of being alone and the trauma that I had gone through in that Delhi brothel. But, finally, I started to open up with Jabala’s counsellor; she was extremely nice and caring and I also made a few friends in the shelter home. Some of the girls had faced worse situations than I had.

Gradually, Jabala re-enrolled me in school, where I completed my studies. Later, Jabala also provided me with training in catering management since I had a knack in cooking. After the training period was complete, I felt quite confident and was placed in a reputed canteen for working under the chef. I was being paid a salary of INR 6000 which was sufficient for me. After two months I also visited my family, my father was finally proud of me and invited me to stay with them at home. But, I had an independent life now so I decided to live on my own. After six months I took another training of Green police with the help of Jabala and currently I am working as a Green Police and finally I am getting a salary of INR 9000. I try to support my younger siblings as well.”

“I am a strong and independent woman now, and I live life on my own terms where I do not have to compromise with my aspirations. Jabala has always supported me and encouraged me to move on in life by overcoming my trauma.”

“I not only support my family but also try to help others in need so that they have to never go through my situation. I am extremely grateful for all of you for supporting me and helping me to come out of the stressful situation. I am a change-maker and am proud of it.”

Sabina Hussain, a girl from Hariharpara, Murshidabad 

All  details of the survivor has been changed to protect the identity.

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.