It is really wonderful to see that how a group who were once victims of sexual exploitation joined together and formed a SHG. I congratulate Ruchira and all the member of AAWW for their endeavor. I am also associated with AAWW feel proud about it. Further more, they have not restricted themselves to traditional work like tailoring etc. The other NGOs in the field should also be inspired from the achievement brought my SHG.

SARFARAZ AHMED KHAN
LL.M (NUJS), LL.M (ESSEX, U.K)
LECTURER
W. B. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF JURIDICAL SCIENCES
BRITISH CHEVENING SCHOLAR

It is a innovative approach where the women can change their life throug this SHG and can live a dignified life. I respect your work. Congratulate you for this innovative approach.

Dear Ruchira,

First of all, I want to congratulate you on your accomplishments. I do think that your work has been a very important step towards prostituted women’s empowerment. Tying up with NABARD is a very good step. It will make the Govt. institutions accountable to the women directly. It will also provide them sustainability even if there is no funding agency available today for funding them. If successful, this model can become replicable everywhere. I would suggest that the SHGs should also be involved into food distribution programs.

Sraboni

In response to the entry above, I would like to mention that I have been a part of the Apne Aap family and I must say that this women centric approach really transforms women in the community from victim to leader. By protecting their children from inter-generational prostitution through schools and legal protection is the only way to empower women. Their style of operation i.e constantly working with women self help groups by providing them with viable economic options, training them on their legal rights and building their resilience to fight sex trafficking is unique.
Thanks and congratulations!

Hi Ruchira,

It is so nice to see how the prostituted women are getting organized into self-help groups and it is even nicer to see that they are applying for the dealership of kerosene, a most necessary consumer goods used in every household. The idea of selling kerosene as an alternative livelihood option in itself is very interesting. It will not only help breaking down the stereotypical alternatives for livelihood, like sewing and stitching but will also link them directly to the society through supply of a very important daily need and thus making them more visible and important. I think it will be a significant step towards the de-stigmatization and mainstreaming of the women trapped into prostitution. I also appreciate the strategy of linking them directly to Govt. schemes and projects making the Govt. directly responsible for the rehabilitation. I really think your work will pave a significant way in mapping the alternative livelihood options which people often pose as the major obstacle to rehabilitation of prostituted women.

Tinku Khanna

In response to the entry above, I would like to mention that Apne Aap has been constantly working with women self help groups by providing them with viable economic options, training them on their legal rights and building their resilience to fight sex trafficking.

I have been associated with the organization for the past three years, and I must point out that we have been very successful in building market linkages at the local and international levels through export houses and government agencies. The need of the hour is to further strenghten these institutional linkages and help market the products of these women which will prove to be a great incentive for them.

Neelam Kolhi

I am proud to say that i have been a part of the Apne Aap family and my experience of working with the women has been both humbling and empowering. Ruchira's relentless pursuit to create a social movement had inspired me then and continues to even today.

It is true that women today are more vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse than ever before. That trafficking across the globe and in India is at a all time high. It is also true that the marginalised and unequal status of women is a reason for their vulnerabilites. It is here that Apne Aap's work is unique, for it not only takes up direct measures to help women out of prostitution, but also takes preventive action to stop women from being exploitated, by promoting their economic empowerment. The formation of the women's self-help group is an excellent and innovative step in this direction. I do hope that Apne Aap's work will expand and reach out to many other women marginalised elsewhere in the county.

I am an intern for Apne Aap currently working in New Delhi.

I spent two weeks in Bihar observing the Apne Aap program there. I attended the women's self-help group meeting in the community house on the edge of the redlight district. It was an amazing and empowering experience. The community that Apne Aap is working with in Bihar is from the Nutt tribe. I observed and heard first hand from community members the absolute marginalization and stigmatization that has stymied any progress and has helped entrench the community in a damaging cycle of inter-generational prostitution.

The women showed such hope in their self-help meeting. This hope has been enabled by the prospects of education for their daughters instead of prostitution and possible other livelihood options.

The girls' hostel has also been a huge success. In a community where girls are usually unable to pursue education beyond the age of 13, I saw these girls smiling, learning, and even doing karate! This hostel is essential for helping break the cycle of inter-generational prostitution.

I was so proud of the progress Apne Aap has made in this community. The empowerment of the women to spearhead the change has met with great success. I hope that Apne Aap's work will continue to expand and help support the sheer resilience of these women.

-claire

Hello Ruchira,
The participatory and 'bottom up' approach adopted by Apne Aap is truly innovative and would eventually lead to total transformation, empowerment and not just welfare of women. Building a platform and coalition of survivors and victims would further enable them to lead their own change and fight against their exploitation without any external pressure or influence. Apne Aap's achievement lies in the fact that it has provided spaces to the survivors of trafficking, helped them to find their voice, dignity and courage to stand up and tell the world that it is unacceptable to buy or sell another human being.

Hi Ruchira, i m impressed by this innovative approach. I m sure unfortunate prostituted women wants to liberate from their unthinkable sufferings, provided someone like you give them courage, skill and opportunity to do so.
Thanks and congratulations.
Gopal

Hello Ruchira, It is really great that the cooperatives have small businesses that stretch beyond crafts and hair styling. You mention the dealing of government goods like kerosene. Do you have a relationship with the government to formalize some of these systems? Do the women keep the money they make or does it go back into supporting the cooperative? What is the name of the documentary for which you won an Emmy? Congratulations! Thank you for your response.
Dana Frasz
Ashoka's Changemakers