Bhavya Gets a New Beginning

Bhavya* was trafficked into sex work by a well-wisher who often visited her house, enticing her with good job opportunities in the city. She never returned home but maintained a good report that everything was okay at the job and that she was earning well.

Bhavya fell in love when she met Ajay*, and she got married, hoping that life was going to get better with him around. She was relieved that she did not have to go back to the red-light area anymore. When Bhavya was pregnant with her second child, Kaushik*, she found out that Ajay was already married. He was no longer living with her or supporting her, forcing her to return to the red-light district with her two children.She was lost and worried that she had to go back to her previous lifestyle.

Bhavya met our change agent, Madhavi, who helped her babysit her children. She guided Bhavya to put her two children in a hostel where they would be safe. Arya was sent to a hostel in Bangalore, and Kaushik was put up in a hostel in Mumbai. At the peak of the pandemic, Kaushik was transferred to a government home as the hostel that he was in was closed due to legal issues. Bhavya began panicking as his custody procedure was complicated and she was clueless as to what to do. Our Drop-in Centre staff in Grant Road helped Bhavya with the documents needed to get custody of her son. Last December, we helped enrol Kaushik in an NGO in Pune, where he will receive help with education, care, and shelter. Kaushik gets holistic care and is well-adjusted to his new home. On the other hand, Bhavya has moved into our rehabilitation home, Nirmal Bhavan, for the new beginning that she always deserved.

Our staff have helped many more women like Bhavya who are forced by circumstances to go back to the red-light area. They are guided to make informed and good choices for themselves and their children.

*Names have been changed to protect their identities.