“To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it. “
Mother Teresa
* Animal Abuse
* Domestic Abuse
* Child Abuse
* Political Abuse & more….
Let me share a small story about a girl called Ruksana. She is a 25 year old household help, who does part-time work as a maid next door. She hails from an unknown, nondescript village, deep in rural West Bengal (India), and has never been to school. I meet her every morning as she sets off to start her chores at people’s houses, and she greets me with this huge sunshine smile. The other day, I had time on hand, and got talking to her. Little did I know that behind her happy demeanour she had such a poignant tale?
She got married 5 years ago. The man was very violent and used to beat her up often. She was expecting their first child, but he still wouldn’t mend his ways. Ruksana, the small Indian village girl, walked out of that place, and has never looked back. Luckily for her, she had the grit, and importantly, family support.
She now has a little 4 year old boy, lives with her mother and uncle in a little slum nearby, and has fought adversity to live with her head held high. She is fearless of what people will say. Very few people have the courage to walk out of a bad abusive relationship, more so if they are illiterate, poor and from a very conservative social background.
I hail the spirit of this young, brave woman who has such a positive outlook to life, and has shown us that it just takes a little courage and determination to fight abuse.
She got married 5 years ago. The man was very violent and used to beat her up often. She was expecting their first child, but he still wouldn’t mend his ways. Ruksana, the small Indian village girl, walked out of that place, and has never looked back. Luckily for her, she had the grit, and importantly, family support.
She now has a little 4 year old boy, lives with her mother and uncle in a little slum nearby, and has fought adversity to live with her head held high. She is fearless of what people will say. Very few people have the courage to walk out of a bad abusive relationship, more so if they are illiterate, poor and from a very conservative social background.
I hail the spirit of this young, brave woman who has such a positive outlook to life, and has shown us that it just takes a little courage and determination to fight abuse.
On this day, 27th September, let us UNITE AGAINST ABUSE!!
Ruksana…Have you seen her sunshine smile??