We love sharing stories of the women who, as part of a skills-training program, sew together Punjammies®. The Sudara Stories series highlights a few of these strong, amazing women. Today, we are honored to introduce Desi.
Desi’s Story of Hope and Freedom
Desi’s mother, Mitali, brought her to one of Sudara’s partner sewing centers because she wanted her to have a different and better life. Desi’s father was often abusive towards her and her mother, especially when her mother could not bring home the income that he expected.
Mitali worked as hard as she could, but she hated her job. Her supervisor knew that she needed the money, that her husband was putting pressure on her to earn more and that she would not easily find another job if she left. So, he took advantage of her situation and insisted that she have sex with him. He told her that if she refused, she would lose her job. Mitali gave in to his insistence; she felt like she had no other options and she was afraid of the consequences at home if she lost her job.
Several weeks later, though, Mitali felt so bad about what happened that she quit her job and left their home in search of a pilgrimage area. Someone told her that she could earn an income by practicing prostitution with the many devotees who traveled through there. She didn’t know what else to do and she didn’t have the skills to be hired anywhere else.
While Mitali was working at the pilgrimage area, she heard about one of Sudara’s partner sewing centers and the skills training and safe housing they offered. She immediately went home to find Desi because she never wanted her daughter to be involved in the sex trade. Desi is now living in safe housing and taking courses in sewing and embroidery. She expects to graduate next year.
Thank you for investing in and empowering women like Desi to create a new life for herself. You can read more Sudara Stories here. And, find the Punjammies® we named in honor and celebration of Desi here.