Breaking the cycle of abuse: Anju's Story
By Sara Ralphs
All her life, Anju had only known poverty and abuse. Her mother was a rag-picker who lived with her 3 daughters on the streets and often beat her children. She died when Anju was very young, leaving her penniless with no one to turn to. After a years living on the streets with her sisters, a local shop vendor who noticed the situation, arranged for 14-year old Anju to marry to man almost thrice her age. Her sisters were taken into government shelters.
Once while visiting her sister, Anju revealed the severe abuse she received from her husband. A social worker who overheard the conversation brought young Anju into protective custody and an official case was filed against her husband. However Anju was pregnant at the time and terrified. Moreso of having nobody than of her husband's abuse.
After a while, Anju and her baby were transferred to TFP India's government-licensed shelter home, Azadi.
When she first came into our care, she still carried the toxic patterns of violence which she had grown up with and had to learn how to parent her daughter with love and gentleness.
For the first time, she was told she was valuable and deserved more than a life of abuse and fear.
Anju soon found a sisterhood of other women who were recovering from similar experiences, and has even accepted Christ into her heart!
She now has the support she needs to begin her journey of healing and restoration.
She also found a passion for baking in the Heart Of Baking enterprise. Every day she makes incredible progress and is eager to improve her skills.
Her baby is now 2.5 years old and Anju is blossoming into a caring mother, skilled baker and a confident young woman with dreams for her future and the future of her little one.
Anju at the Heart of Baking enterprise
Your support helps girls like Anju, will you consider giving today?
The need is great and we could do so much more but our capacity is limited to the funds we can raise. We need your help now to transform lives.
Each donation helps us to rescue and restore some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Your generous gift can bring freedom and transform lives.
100% of all support for our programs comes from donors like you! We have had so many wonderful successes this past financial year, but there is still so much left to do, and we need YOUR help to do it! Your generosity keeps our projects in prevention, rescue and restoration alive and thriving.