Safe Home for Survivors of Domestic Violence

Leaving a domestic violence situation can be a complex and traumatic experience for a survivor. It often involves a mix of emotions, including fear, anxiety, relief, guilt, and shame.

The survivor may have been subjected to physical, emotional, psychological, and/or sexual abuse, and leaving can feel like the only option to escape the violence. However, it is not always a straightforward process and leaving may involve significant obstacles, such as financial dependency, lack of support from friends or family, concerns about the safety of their children, and fear of retaliation from the abuser.

After leaving, the survivor may experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, such as stress, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The process of healing and rebuilding their life can be long and difficult, but with the right support, many survivors are able to find hope and begin the journey to recovery.

We are immensely grateful to our donors and our supporters that so generously contribute that allow us to offer women, girls and their families a safe and homely environment and receive the care that the Safe Home offers them. 

The Story below  is such a beautiful testimony to what the Safe Home can offer victims of abuse: 

BHAVYA AND PRANAY FIND THEMSELVES AGAIN AND DETERMINED TO SHARE THEIR LIVES

Eight 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 into the marriage, Pranay started drinking alcohol and began to verbally abuse Bhavya. Bhavya felt heartbroken. He started criticizing 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 own hands and sought counseling. She approached Operation PeaceMaker for support where our counselors provided her with free counseling support. After a few sessions, Bhavya felt better. The counselor 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 behavior 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 living together today. 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.

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