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“I know what I have gone through, with dreams of a better
life shattered, being subject to humiliation, harassment and deceit, I
have come back. I am strengthened by the support from CNI and women
leaders of my village. We will together protect other women and girls
from going through what I have gone through”, says Jyotsna*. “I was suffering from a sense of guilt and shame, since I returned from
Delhi. I felt guilty for leaving my village for want of better
livelihood. I felt ashamed for the humiliation that I went through and
the betrayal that I suffered. But since the time, CNI members who come
and serve in our village have shared about the issue, and have
personally counseled me and my family members, I started feeling good.
Since then I have been engaged in making different communities here
about the ill-effects of simple trust towards the agents
(traffickers), as I also prepare those who go for work outside to
protect themselves from any form of exploitation, and that the family
members have the right to information about their children’s/
women’s whereabouts. As I did this work, which is not a job for
me that pays, but a voluntary involvement to protect the rights of
children and women here, a sense of worth and confidence got instilled
in me. What was most overwhelming for me was when I was invited by CNI,
UNIFEM and Media Coalition to be a resource person in the “Workshop
on Gender Sensitive Rights Based Reporting” for media personnel. I
am myself not literate, and how could I educate media people and
others about our lives and also sharing positive stories of strength
and courage. I was nervous first. But I realized later that it was
also a beautiful way of giving dignity to us, something that I did not
understand earlier but now have experienced it. It is such a beautiful
feeling now.” Jyotsna*
was promised a descent job in Delhi. She was first abused by the
trafficker, then at the place where she worked as a domestic maid,
from where she had to run away, and finally landed back to her village
without being paid her wages. She had left her village to be able to
earn some money and support her family. However, she returned without
any earnings rather having lost her dignity. *name
changed The Church of North India has an Anti-trafficking programme for the vulnerable and the affected in terms of Prevention, Protection, Rescue, Rehabilitation and Repatriation. Sanjana
Das Co-ordinator,
Children’s Concerns Church
of North India
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