When Rekha* was just 17, she believed she was stepping into a better future. A man from her village in Nepal, who had gained her family’s trust, promised her a well-paying job in India. As a young widow with a small child, she thought this opportunity would ease her struggles. But everything changed during the journey. She and another woman were given something to drink, and when she woke up, she realised she had been trafficked to Delhi and then sold into the Kamathipura red-light area in Mumbai. There, she was forced into the trade, beaten, denied food, and pushed into substance abuse. For years, her life spiralled into darkness and despair.
Rekha spent more than 16 years in various red-light areas, including Bhandup and finally Bhiwandi. Addiction, broken relationships, and hopelessness became her reality. It was during this time that Sahaara staff, through Project Parivartan at the Bhiwandi location, met Rekha during a field visit. They patiently built trust with Rekha through regular mentoring during their outreach visits. Even though she was initially reluctant and distracted due to addiction, they kept encouraging her to consider exiting the trade and building a new life.
During the lockdown, Sahaara provided regular ration support, ensuring her basic needs were met. This was a turning point. With a foundation of consistent care and encouragement, Rekha began attending individual counselling sessions and slowly opened up about her trauma. The staff identified her interest in learning something new and introduced her to a vocational course in soy wax cube making. Step by step, she learned the process, gained confidence, and started producing items herself.
Recognising her need for a steady income, Sahaara also helped her secure a job in a local food packaging company. To support her further, they continued providing mentoring, emotional support, and health guidance as she lives with HIV. When she struggled to pay the deposit to relocate out of the red-light area, Sahaara stepped in with financial support, helping her leave that environment once and for all.
With these multiple layers of support—counselling, vocational training, financial assistance, job placement, and relocation—Rekha began to rebuild her life. Today, she balances her full-time job and her part-time soy wax making work with dignity. She has stability, emotional peace, and the motivation to build a better life for herself and her family.
“I’m thankful to Sahaara for being there when I had nothing. They didn’t just help me learn a skill—they gave me the strength to dream again,” Rekha shared.
Rekha now dreams of opening a small shop and creating a life of dignity for herself and her loved ones.
(Names changed to protect identities.)