SHYLA*

I was married off at the age 17. I completed my 11th grade but got married before I completed 12th grade. My husband was without work and he used to abuse me physically. I endured a lot of shame and pain from him. We had a son and we struggled to manage the family. I couldn't manage with him and so decided to go back to my mothers home.

I then found a job in one of our neighbours' houses as a housemaid. There I found a friend who trapped me in a job which turned out to be prostitiution. With no means of income and no one to care for my child and me, I had to continue doing that disgraceful “work”. I used to work under a manager, and as I was young and pretty, her business started booming. My friend who introduced me to this whole thing started feeling jealous because I was earning well as compared to her. One day, this so-called friend gave a tip-off to the police in one of my client visits and thus I got rescued and got placed in the Govt shelter home. After being there for more than a year, I realised where I was wrong. Some NGO’s members who visited me and spent time with me, encouraged me to move on in my life. I have come to terms with what happened in that phase of my life and now decided to move

After I left the home, I tried to make ends meet for me and my son. My mother doesn't want me with her anymore because I don't earn enough money to give her. She sees me as a burden. A friend from an NGO who visited at the Shelter Home suggested I contact Purnata. I called Anagha Ma’am and she helped me connect with Purnata. Now I'm part of the Purnata Rehabilitation program. I will be enrolling for writing my 12 grade. I want to dream and make my life count. For the first time I'm having hope that I can redeem myself for what I lost and have a future filled with hope for my son and myself.

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*name changed to protect identity