Amala
When I was studying in the 12th standard, I faced a lot of opposition from my father. I enjoyed studying, but my father continually doubted my fidelity and accused me of spending time with boys. He discouraged me from going to school and burned my books. My closest friend was a girl called Premalatha, but she was from a different caste and my father discouraged me from spending time withe her.
Tormented by these difficulties at home, I decided to run away. I took Rs. 200 of my pocket money and left home. I knew that i would have to find a job in order to support myself when I reached Bangalore. I asked three women if they could provide me a job, but they refused and walked away. After a while, a man came up to me and asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was looking for a job. He told me that there were jobs in Pune and booked bus tickets for our journey. When I got on the bus I learned that he changed the plan and was actually taking me to Mumbai.
Even though I knew he was cheating me, I was too scared to scream and ask for help on the bus. When we arrived in Mumbai he took me to a brothel and handed me over to a lady, who took me to another lady, who later took me to another lady. Finally after many transfers, I found myself in a brothel with three other girls. One girl asked me "Do you like this work?" I said "No." She said "You will."
I was there at the brothel for a year and each day I hoped that I could escape. I persistently told the brothel keeper that I wanted to leave because I did not like the work. In response, she would beat me on my head. I would cry every time it happened because my father never beat me. These incidents made me quite desperate, but I was too petrified to leave.
One day she came to me and told me "Hide! The police have come!" She shut me in the bathroom and shut the door to the room. I was scared to even breathe. Random thoughts filled my mind: "What will the police think of me? Am I a bad girl?"
*Knock, knock.* I heard someone tapping at the door but I refused to move or breathe.
*Knock, knock.* "Eli yaravadru idhara?" ("Is anyone here?" in Kannada, my mother tongue.) This was my opportunity. I had to get out.
"Yes, I'm here," I responded, and a lady unlocked the door. I got to know that the lady, Jaya, was a social worker from an anti-trafficking organization and had come on a raid along with the police in order to rescue me.
I was able to breathe easily and walked out safe with Jaya. I heard the brothel keeper pleading with the police saying, "I'm new here. I did not know that she was a young girl. I did not do any wrong." The brothel keeper and I were transported to the police station in the same vehicle. Throughout the journey she prodded me to tell the police that I had come here on my own will. I assured her that I would tell the police that I had come on my own will.
At the police station, I boldly confessed to all the wrong she did to me and told the police that I was there by force and that the brothel keeper made me work against my will. She was slapped by the police. I gained strength in knowing that my days of slavery were over and I would never have to return to it again. The brothel keeper was thrown into jail for keeping me and two other minor girls captive. I spent three months at a short-stay home and joined Ruhamah Designs for work. I feel I have found freedom, because I can work at a place where I am not abused. I can create jewelry and have the opportunity to continue my education.
Amala joined Ruhamah Designs in October 2011. She was silent, withdrawn and fearful. As her trust in the staff grew Amala came out of her shell. She was a fast learner and made beautiful jewelry. Amala also completed her 12th grade exams. She left in 2012 as her family found that she was alive, but returned to Ruhamah Designs in 2014 as her father was unchanged. In time she gained much confidence, developed a strong desire to help other young women like her and became a skilled artisan. She took up computer classes in 2015, was promoted as a peer supervisor in 2016, taking on responsibilities to train other employees in jewelry making. Recently, Amala decided to move on to another job in a neighboring city to be close to her family.
Tormented by these difficulties at home, I decided to run away. I took Rs. 200 of my pocket money and left home. I knew that i would have to find a job in order to support myself when I reached Bangalore. I asked three women if they could provide me a job, but they refused and walked away. After a while, a man came up to me and asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was looking for a job. He told me that there were jobs in Pune and booked bus tickets for our journey. When I got on the bus I learned that he changed the plan and was actually taking me to Mumbai.
Even though I knew he was cheating me, I was too scared to scream and ask for help on the bus. When we arrived in Mumbai he took me to a brothel and handed me over to a lady, who took me to another lady, who later took me to another lady. Finally after many transfers, I found myself in a brothel with three other girls. One girl asked me "Do you like this work?" I said "No." She said "You will."
I was there at the brothel for a year and each day I hoped that I could escape. I persistently told the brothel keeper that I wanted to leave because I did not like the work. In response, she would beat me on my head. I would cry every time it happened because my father never beat me. These incidents made me quite desperate, but I was too petrified to leave.
One day she came to me and told me "Hide! The police have come!" She shut me in the bathroom and shut the door to the room. I was scared to even breathe. Random thoughts filled my mind: "What will the police think of me? Am I a bad girl?"
*Knock, knock.* I heard someone tapping at the door but I refused to move or breathe.
*Knock, knock.* "Eli yaravadru idhara?" ("Is anyone here?" in Kannada, my mother tongue.) This was my opportunity. I had to get out.
"Yes, I'm here," I responded, and a lady unlocked the door. I got to know that the lady, Jaya, was a social worker from an anti-trafficking organization and had come on a raid along with the police in order to rescue me.
I was able to breathe easily and walked out safe with Jaya. I heard the brothel keeper pleading with the police saying, "I'm new here. I did not know that she was a young girl. I did not do any wrong." The brothel keeper and I were transported to the police station in the same vehicle. Throughout the journey she prodded me to tell the police that I had come here on my own will. I assured her that I would tell the police that I had come on my own will.
At the police station, I boldly confessed to all the wrong she did to me and told the police that I was there by force and that the brothel keeper made me work against my will. She was slapped by the police. I gained strength in knowing that my days of slavery were over and I would never have to return to it again. The brothel keeper was thrown into jail for keeping me and two other minor girls captive. I spent three months at a short-stay home and joined Ruhamah Designs for work. I feel I have found freedom, because I can work at a place where I am not abused. I can create jewelry and have the opportunity to continue my education.
Amala joined Ruhamah Designs in October 2011. She was silent, withdrawn and fearful. As her trust in the staff grew Amala came out of her shell. She was a fast learner and made beautiful jewelry. Amala also completed her 12th grade exams. She left in 2012 as her family found that she was alive, but returned to Ruhamah Designs in 2014 as her father was unchanged. In time she gained much confidence, developed a strong desire to help other young women like her and became a skilled artisan. She took up computer classes in 2015, was promoted as a peer supervisor in 2016, taking on responsibilities to train other employees in jewelry making. Recently, Amala decided to move on to another job in a neighboring city to be close to her family.