Sudara Stories: Prasanna

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 Prasanna.

 

Prasanna’s Story of Hope and Freedom

After many years working in the commercial sex trade, Prasanna’s mom was told that she had HIV. Prasanna watched as her mom’s health deteriorated, as she experienced more and more anxiety about her work, and as she slipped in and out of deep depression. With her mom unable to bring home as much income as before, Prasanna’s father forced her to quit school and enter the sex-trade instead.

She told us that she was afraid of the sex trade and being a sex-worker. She saw her mom live through years of abuse, the way that men treated her, and the effects this had on her physical and mental health. Prasanna told us that she wanted something different for her life.

Prasanna eventually ran away from home and, with the help of a community worker, was able to find safe housing and medical care with one of Sudara’s local partners. She soon enrolled in the skills-training program and learned how to sew. Her favorite training, though, has been in cosmetology. She recently told us that she has dreams of opening her own salon and is excited about her future after graduation.

Thank you for continuing to invest in and empower women like Prasanna to create a new life for herself — a life that is free from sex-slavery and full of hope for the future.

Read more Sudara Stories here. And, find the PUNJAMMIES® we named in honor and celebration of Prasanna here.