By Sophie Stephens | Digital Fundraiser
Content warning: Themes of sexual assualt
Meera is 40 and lives in Rupwas village, she lives with five daughters and one son and is the sole provider for her family. Her husband left her after she got assaulted by people in her village. She was only 13 years old when she got married to her previous husband.
One day Meera went to a local cooperative bank to ask for a loan to support her daughter’s wedding. Her neighbours, who also give loans on interest, came to know about this. They approached her, offering to loan the money at low interest and on this promise, she entered their house to discuss it in more depth. They proceeded to sexually assault her, filming it, and began threatening her, using the videos as blackmail for forced prostitution.
A member of our project team received a report of this incident from Rupwa’s police station. She soon approached Meera, explaining what the project could do to provide for both her and her family and expressed their commitment to reducing violence against women.
The project gave her groceries and counselling to slowly process the trauma and provide tools to help improve her mental health. They also ensured her family was receiving the nutrition they need, to alleviate the stress on her to provide for them during this difficult time.
The case is still ongoing.
Whilst it is ongoing, the Maitri network is ensuring that the children are accessing education and provided with food, while Meera is being given trauma-informed therapy to encourage healing.
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