'I knew that I mattered' : Ashana's story
By Maddy Reid
Meet Ashana, one of the many beautiful women The Freedom Project have taken in to their care. She was once a victim of slavery, located in the heart of India. The traumatic and heinous acts Ashana has subject to after she was trafficked left her feeling worthless, with overwhelming pain and no hope for the future. At least, that was until she was rescued by The Freedom Project.
Following her rescue she was taken to our safe home where she was loved and nurtured by our wonderful staff members. Within the safe home, Ashana had the opportunity to meet with other trafficked survivors who shared their stories of healing and restoration. Here, Ashana found her hope again.
“I felt like my life was ruined before The Freedom Project took me in. I had no hope for the future. The staff members at the safe home said that my life was important to them no matter what others had done to me, but I wondered if it was true. But over time as I heard other girls’ stories, I realised they had experienced trauma like me and they had found healing so I knew I could find healing too. I knew that I mattered.”
Without generous donators like yourselves, Ashana may have never had the opportunity to live a life free from the bondage of slavery!
Whilst living in the safe home, Ashana has also started taking part in The Heart of Baking enterprise. This incredible program is run in Bangalore by the previously-trafficked women living in our safe home for the sake of vocational training to set them up for a self-sufficient life after leaving our care. Here they learn how to make all different kinds of wonderful goodies, such as baked goods and homemade, organic wellness products. We believe it is pivotal for trafficked survivors to be given employable skills as they rebuild their lives whilst in our care. This program gives women like Ashana hope of building a happier life, free from slavery.
Ashana is only one of the millions of individuals who have suffered under the oppression of human slavery. According to the Minderoo Walk Free Foundation, it is estimated that out of the 20 million commercial prostitutes in India, 16 million are women who are victims of sex trafficking. And Legal Services in India paint an even bleaker picture, that every hour, four girls in India enter into prostitution, three of them against their will.
These are devastating statistics that we at The Freedom Project seek to change radically. With the help of our supporters we can continue to save and transform the lives of women like Ashana.
This is where your generosity goes when you give to The Freedom Project. You could be the catalyst for providing hope, healing and restoration to other women like Ashana.
To read more about the Heart Of Baking program for the women in our safe home, click here: