Mangala* was orphaned soon after her birth. She was raised by an elderly woman who adopted her and was kind to her. Unfortunately, the woman’s sons kept mistreating her until one day, after having had enough of the abuse, Mangala decided to leave her adoptive family.
Loneliness followed her and the absence of parents weighed heavily on this young 14-year-old. She met a boy who promised to help her by taking her to his home but instead sold her to an elderly lady who sent her to a brothel and forced her into prostitution in 2006. Thankfully, she was eventually rescued in 2010.
Mangala spent more than a year in shelter homes before she joined Ruhamah, Freedom Firm's jewelry business in 2011. Since then, she has steadily been progressing in her rehabilitation. She has been trained in jewelry-making and creates beautiful, colourful necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Since Ruhamah Designs provides more than just employment, she has also received basic education and computer lessons. She is incredibly good with children and spends part of her time caring for disabled children.
Of course, like all of us, she has her good days and bad days; days when she is happy and focused at the workshop, and days when she has poor health and behavioral issues. But we are all wired differently and we each have our own trauma and coping mechanisms. Thankfully, she is healing from the emotional and physical abuse she suffered and is well on the road to recovery.
*name changed to protect identity