Annapoorna

 Annapoorna has worked with Ruhamah Designs for almost a year and a half. She came to us after 20 years of abuse in a brothel. Because of all the trauma that she faced, she had a stroke at a very young age. When she first arrived, she could hardly speak. The stroke left her with very limited mobility, and the only way she knew to express herself was to cry. Initially, making jewelry was incredibly difficult for her, and when asked to make something new or to make a correction she would always say “I can’t.”

Annapoorna has made amazing progress in the time that she’s been here. She can now speak clearly, and is better at expressing herself. While she’s not the fastest-moving person you’ll ever meet, she is able to move. And when asked to make something new or to make a correction, she now says “I’ll try.”
  The necklace pictured is one of the most difficult designs in our new collection. When the other artisans in our workshop couldn’t do it, we decided to have Annapoorna try it. After a few days of difficulty, she did it! To our delight, Annapoorna became the first of our artisans to master this design. We have decided to name this necklace “Annapoorna’s Journey Necklace” in her honor.

At the end of October 2015, Annapoorna returned to her home to reclaim her father’s property and re-integrate with her family. She got married in November 2015 and is excited to start the next phase of her journey. This is a testament to the way that Annapoorna has grown in the last year. It is a testament to her amazing courage and strength. We are very proud of the woman she has become and hope that she will be successful.