Preventing Inter-Generational Prostitution

‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’- Nelson Mandela

Open Mic Session by Students and Professors from the New York University

Place: Gandhi Smriti

Participants: Women and Girls from Perna and Sapera communities

Rekha (name changed), a woman from Perna caste community was constantly examining the visiting group of students from the New York University at Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi. Later, she told us ‘I want my daughter to become like them. They are educated, beautiful and independent’. Rekha is a 35 year old woman trapped into the system of prostitution. Being the breadwinner for the family of six people, Rekha have no other option but to continue to sell her body every night to sustain herself and her family members, including husband and four children.

Open Mic Session by Ms. Maria Beatriz, Head of Gender, World Bank and her colleague Sonali Andrea Robert David

Place: MCD Primary School

Participants: Young girls from the school

Open mic sessions provides platform to young girls from our adopted school in Najafgarh to express their opinion. The girls are made quiet if they ever try to express their feelings or desires in their homes and in the communities. Here is where the regular open mic sessions in schools help them. They are free to speak what they want to, where nobody will stop them . When Ms Maria and Ms Sonali visited to meet these young girls at the school, they shared dreams of being a lawyer, doctor, dance teacher, singer and more.

Open Mic Session with the Students and Professors group from the Rutgers University

Place: Community, Dharampura

Participants: Women, young girls and boys

It is always the community members who open the gates of their homes for the workshops in the community. For this open mic session, a whole terrace was given to us where everyone could sit in a circle and discuss. The students and professors from the Rutgers University were briefed about the ten asset approach for the field intervention programmes in Delhi, Bihar and Kolkata by Apne Aap. It is encouraging to see how the women speak confidently on the open mic platforms, sharing the challenges and victories of their life and the dreams that they see for their children.

Creativity Enhancement Workshop

Place: MCD Primary School

Participants: Young girls from the school

Mr Shikhant Sablania, an artist, believes that we should not try to impose our thoughts and beliefs on to the children, let them explore and find their own way. Mr Shikhant taught the young girls how easy it is to use any object around us and just draw or create something. The girls at the Primary school learnt to draw using CDs, floppy disk, hammer, bottle cap etc in the workshop.

Livelihood Opportunities in collaboration with Youth for Peace International Group

Place: Community, Dharampura

Participants: Women in the community

Since the women and girls are not allowed to go outside from the community, Apne Aap tries hard to bring the livelihood linkages in the community to the women from the three caste communities so they could make a dignified living within the their respective homes. This time we had Youth for Peace International group who are ready to bring more options to the women in the community in order to give better life.

1.  Open Mic Session- Importance of dignified work and being Independent

Location- Dharampura Community

Participants- Women and Girls

The DNT community (Perna, Sapera and Singhi) women and girls are not allowed to go outside their community for education or work in office space. However, they appreciate and admire young girls and women who visit them through Apne Aap and become their friends for life.

Apne Aap tries to encourage and provide exposure to the girls and women from these communities through its Ten Asset Approach. Ms Juanita Kakoty discussed the importance of being independent and for which education is the base. She discussed with the girls and mothers how important it is for the girls to be educated so that she could earn through work and take decisions for her own life.

 2. Diwali Celebration

Location-  Dharampura Community

Participants- Women , Young girls and boys

Apne Aap celebrates all the small and big festivals with its survivors; and at risk women and girls from DNT communities.

Diwali, being a major festival in India is an enthusiastic day from the youngest to the oldest. Apne Aap staff reached to the community in afternoon where women and children were waiting eagerly for the celebration to begin.

Children made rangolis in groups  and decorated it with Diyas spreading the light of hope.  The celebration continued with sweets and drinks and everyone wished each other for a prosperous Diwali.

3. Financial Literacy Session

Location- Dharampura Community

Participants- Women and Girls

Apne Aap had organised the two sessions for Financial Literacy in the community for women and girls who are trapped in inter-generational prostitution or are at risk of being trafficked.  Ms Shikha Mittal shared how important it is for the women and girls to save money and invest it somewhere. The saved money will multiply over the years and will provide protection to them in their hard days.

Ms Shikha shared discussed the importance of being financially secure and independent for the women and girls with the DNT communities in Delhi.

4. Social Entrepreneurship Workshop

Location- MCD Primary School and Dharampura Community

Participants- Fifth Standard Girls and Women

Ms Daysha Hampton encouraged young girls in school to become entrepreneurs in future. She believe that anyone can become entrepreneur if they determine it.  Ms Daysha had put the seeds in young minds to think about starting their own small enterprises in the future and to have faith on themselves and their dreams.

Ms Daysha also discussed with women from DNT communities to start their small enterprises which would help them earn through a dignified work. She asked women to believe in themselves and their potential. Ms Daysha encouraged women and girls to put trust in themselves and to think about starting their own small social enterprises.

 5. Yoga Session

Location- MCD Primary School

Participants- Fifth Standard Girls

Ms Daysha Hampton is an incredible Yoga teacher.  She shared the importance of Yoga and taught the same to our young girls. Yoga is essential for physical as well as mental wellness and the Yoga sessions help the young girls to overcome the traumatic experiences that they face or see around their communities.

 6. Interaction with Prof Catharine MacKinnon and Founder Ruchira Gupta

Location- Dharampura Community

Participants-  Women and Girls

 Apne Aap women and girls interacted with Prof Catharine MacKinnon and Founder Ruchira Gupta in Dharampura. They discussed Ten Asset Approach and how it is used by Apne Aap as an exit strategy. The women and girls also shared their personal experiences and victories in life and how they have been able to change their own lives and others around.

Prof Catharine and Ms Gupta also walked through the community and discussed the challenges that women and girls from DNT communities face day to day.