Safe Home for Survivors of Domestic Violence

Our Safe home aims to create a safe space for healing for survivors of violence and abuse. Since November 2021, more than 15 survivors have stayed at the safe home and availed the free support in the journey of living free from violence and abuse. Our team helped these women with a variety of tasks - providing medical care, vocational training, filing of FIR, and assistance in looking for employment opportunities. These women were referred to our safe home by our counsellors and partners at Childline India, Save the Children and Hyderabad Police Station.

Through our work, at the Safe Home, we have provided long-term shelter, medical and psychiatric treatment to survivors. We have also provided childcare for survivors who have children. During their stay at the Safe Home, the survivors engaged in various activities as a part of their ongoing therapy - making handicrafts, tailoring, gardening and art therapy.

Bhavya’s journey to a violence-free home

8 years ago, Bhavya* married the man of her dreams. She loved Pranay* with all her heart and so did he. They got married in secret as their parents did not approve of the union. A year passed by in happiness and joy. They enjoyed each other’s company and Bhavya couldn’t be happier. 

A year later into the marriage, Pranay started drinking alcohol and verbally abusing Bhavya. Bhavya felt heartbroken. He started criticising her cooking which he used to once love. Determined to mend her relationship she started cooking multiple meals, all to Pranay’s liking. Unfortunately, he still did not like the food and preferred to eat at a restaurant every day. Furthermore, he refused to provide any financial support to Bhavya for the household and personal expenses. He started restricting her mobility by monitoring her activity and not allowing her to go beyond the four walls of the house. Bhavya felt like a prisoner in her own home. Bhavya continued to bear the abuse as she felt he might change soon. Over the years, she gave birth to two children.  

One day, dejected by her situation Bhavya decided to take matters into her hands and sought counselling. She approached Operation PeaceMaker for support where our counsellors provided her with free counselling support. After a few sessions, Bhavya felt better. The counsellor helped her improve her self-esteem by engaging her in various activities and introspecting her past decisions. 

Feeling better about herself, Bhavya started working from home. But her husband’s behaviour did not improve. He continued to emotionally and verbally abuse her. Unable to bear the abuse, she gathered the confidence and raised her voice against him. This led to an explosive fight where she was subjected to physical abuse by her husband in front of her children. 

Scared for the life of herself and her children, Bhavya decided to walk away from Pranay. She wished to go to her parent’s home but they were not in the city. She then contacted the counsellor for support who helped Bhavya and her children move to our Safe Home. At the Safe Home, Bhavya and her children were engaged in various activities as therapy. During this period, her husband also agreed to undergo counselling. He admitted to having trouble controlling his anger and feeling anxious all the time. He also consulted a psychiatrist who diagnosed him with depression and advised medical intervention.

The medical intervention and psychological counselling are helping Pranay with his anger issues and depression. Pranay and Bhavya also started working on their relationship. They wished to reunite and are today living together. Pranay understood the importance of mental health and is taking the necessary help. Bhavya and her children are safe and happy as they live in a violence-free home. 

*Name changed to protect people’s identity.