By Shirley Bobby | Head of Fundraising
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Saroja, the caretaker of Lotus Safe Home, enjoys sharing her arts and crafts knowledge with the women at the home. Recently, Saroja conducted a mini-class on knitting which two of the women at the home attended. In these sessions, the women made beautiful bags, pouches and wall hangings out of yarn. These creations adorn the Lotus Safe Home and are a symbol of the beauty that emerges from the dark and difficult situations from which the women are finding healing and solace.
GARDENING ACTIVITIES
The flowers have blossomed at the Lotus Safe Home! Gardening is one of the activities that the women at the Lotus Safe Home find therapeutic and helpful in their journey to overcome abuse. The women, along with their children, enjoy looking on and even helping the Lotus Safe Home staff members when they are planting, watering and growing the garden.
CASE STUDY
Devi* is a talented young woman who is a trained dancer. Creative and responsible, Devi teaches dance and her earnings go toward supporting her parents and four siblings.
But her home life was not as bright. Her father abuses her mother and this abuse creates an unsafe and stressful situation for her and her four siblings to live in.
Her father is a construction worker and her mother is a teacher. Even though both of them are employed, only her mother contributes her earnings for the family. So Devi did what she could to help her parents and siblings. Life continued this way until 26-year-old Devi was cheated financially and was in dire need of help.
Instead of helping Devi, her parents began to abuse her and refused to help their own daughter in her tense financial situation. They continued to abuse her until she made the decision to leave home and seek shelter at the Lotus Safe Home.
Once Devi walked through the doors of the Lotus Safe Home she felt her mind and body begin to heal. Her helpful attitude was to be seen at the home as well and she was all too willing to help everyone at the home. Much to the joy of Saroja’s daughters, Devi agreed to teach the two young girls popular dance, and the sound of laughter and dancing filling the air was music to everyone’s ears - quite literally!
No longer did Devi have to tremble with fear and cower in the corner when her parents (especially her father) directed their anger toward her. Her stay at the Lotus Safe Home was the time she needed to get back on her feet and rebuild her mind and health to begin working again.
*The name of the individual has been changed to protect their privacy.
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