“I have been trapped and trafficked in to prostitution at my teenage by one of my tenants. She took advantage of poverty of my family. Later, my situations demanded me to continue in the same to survive myself and my children” said 27 years old Ramya (name changed) belong to Vijayawada. She is the younger daughter to her parents where her mother was working as house maid and her father was working in a hotel in Vijayawada. She stopped her education in 10th standard and started attending in a event decoration company for daily wages. There she had fell in love with a person Raju who was her colleague and married him. After one year she given birth to a girl child and another girl later after two years. Raju slowly started illegal contacts with other women near to their house and also at work place. It took no longer to breakup their relation as he started harassing Ramya both physically and mentally. Ramya had left away her husband and got back to her parents house along with two children.
But, her parents were also not in a position to take care of Ramya and the two girl children. Ramya tried to join a decent job but no such chances she found because of her low qualification. But she is in want of more money to take care of not only her children but also her parents. One of her tenants understood Ramya’s situation and slowly melt her mind towards prostitution. After few months, once she was rescued by police, a case was booked under ITP Act and referred to a shelter home for counseling and rehabilitation services for few days. She returned back to her family with a sense of disgrace and sarcasm towards existing post rescue systems and mechanism followed by the state to rehabilitate and re-integrate the rescued victims. “I wouldn’t have re-victimized if I have been re-integrated with enough care and concern along with required support services. I have been stigmatized even in the shelter home where I kept for more than one month after my rescue” agonized Ramya. Her parents have taken few more loans from private money lenders in her absence that became additional burden for her after coming back to her home as she already indebted to someone.
Ramya was motivated to join in survivor’s collective of VUMUKTHI by one of her friends in community who is already a member. Ramya is attending regularly to participate in the programmes and activities of VIMUKTHI facilitated by HELP organisation and got trained in leadership skills, advocacy and lobbying as well as communication skills and so on. She is taking care of her children and her parents and in addition striving her best for the survivors in her community. After two years she became one of the Executive Body members in VIMUKTHI. “Now I am one of the key Leaders in VIMUKTHI, I used to spark a sense of courage and confidence among my peer survivors, we are forming as SHG group, motivating others and are moving ahead towards our socio-economic empowerment” said Ramya.