July 29: Aarna Bhura, a 15-year-old student from Sardar Patel School, Delhi, was deeply moved by the story of her house help- Savitri (name changed). Savitri was just 11 years old when she ran away from an extremely abusive stepmother. The day she thought she had rescued herself from misery was just a beginning of a nightmare. Hiding in the Railway compartment bathroom hungry, Savitri was lured for food by a pleasing Aunty Dhani. For five years, she remembers being tortured, burned with cigarette stubs, beaten, and feeling ravenously hungry if she denied working as a sex worker. She never saw the sun at noon until she was rescued in a police raid. She now works as house help in residential colonies. Just like countless sex workers are pinned down in the invisible web of violence, misery, wickedness & exploitation.
Aarna says, “This cause is very poignant as most of these women are gravely forced into the sex trade through human trafficking, and their work & living conditions are so misery-filled that any access to basic health care is also a far reach. I wish to devote quality time o helping as many of these trafficked women as possible. I firmly believe that access to proper healthcare can drastically improve the quality of these women by reducing their suffering, enabling them to take the least bit care of fighting for self-health care.” says Aarna Bhura.
She has been raising funds to provide cervical cancer vaccination to the most vulnerable but highly discriminated section of society- sex workers. The Cervical Cancer vaccine is also not covered as a part of the National Immunisation Program in India.
For the last three years, Aarna has participated with the NGO Sachhi Saheli and has been working to create awareness of women’s menstrual& reproductive health and hygiene.
In the first phase, she raised vaccination costs by around 105 doses. There is no stopping her as she continues to relentlessly hold small fundraisers with friends & family to get whatever help she can for these sex workers. After completing IInd dose drive, she feels she is moving closer to the earlier goals.
Help her in her efforts to bring a change in the lives of these trafficked girls. Donate now.
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Vaishnavi Prakash
