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 Yaveni.
Yaveni’s story of Freedom and Hope
As far back as Yaveni can remember, the women in her family have worked in the sex trade. And, each day, when her mother would head to the temple area, Yaveni would head to school. When her father died, though, everything changed. Yaveni said that his death was sudden and unexpected. He suffered a heart attack and was en route to the hospital when his ambulance was involved in a fatal accident with another vehicle.
Her mother was distraught over his death and grew increasingly worried about how she would bring in enough income to provide for the family. She started bringing Yaveni to the temple area each day rather than attend school and forced her into the sex trade to help with finances. Yaveni did not want to be part of the sex trade, though; she enjoyed school and wanted to continue her studies.
Yaveni reached a breaking point one day and knew she had to leave her family and the temple area if she ever wanted to get out of the sex trade. She spoke with a community worker who helped her escape to safety at the Sudara centers. After going through a time of restoration, including counseling and medical care, Yaveni enrolled in the skills training program. She is currently taking classes in spoken English and computer skills. And, she recently told us that she is looking forward to becoming a data entry operator after graduation.
Thank you for continuing to invest in and empower women like Yaveni to create a new life for herself — a life that is free from sex-slavery and full of hope. Read more Sudara Stories here. And, find the PUNJAMMIES® we named in honor and celebration of Yaveni here.