#DearSurvivor, here’s my granny’s #RebirthStory for you!

My granny has empowered many lives as she went through the ups and downs of her journey. And she did well. Till one unforeseen day, when we lost our granddad. Her world came to a standstill. I was a young teen then living with my parents in another city. We visited granny for a few days and I saw her just existing, like a body without a soul. She had lost weight. She’d go about her daily chores as though passing through life. She was no longer cheerful. We stayed till my school permitted and then came back home.

Months later, she was my nani again. As if nothing had happened. She was cooking yummy food for us. She was cracking jokes. She was happy. I didn’t know for all these years what made her make a comeback to life. When I told her about this campaign Kshamata has begun, she got curious. I asked her if she had a #RebirthStory for the survivors. With the spine of steel, she had many to tell. Here’s one for the record.

A roller coaster of happy to broken to leadership

“When I lost my husband in an accident, I had no will to live. For many months I stayed mum. Various thoughts kept coming to me. I had a family that needed me. I told myself that I cannot be scared, I cannot give up. And I bought two cows. I started with selling their milk, made tea with the extra litres, and eventually earned enough to contribute to society and institutions. My message to you is to never give up. Take up a job. No job is small. Keep working. Your dreams will come true.” (Excerpt translated)

Kshamata empowers survivors of exploitation to reintegrate into society as dignified, positive and productive participants.

Want to help too? If you’ve been through something drastic and have managed to get back to a happy life, share your #RebirthStory with Kshamata women and join their ‘In Me, I Believe’ model. While they help survivors believe in themselves, we can help survivors believe in a better tomorrow.

or share it on Social Media: Kshamata’s Facebook, Twitter
Or as a mail: team@kshamata.org