The Ruhamah workshop started at Karuna Home on April 1st with five girls opting in to be trained in jewelry making. This is the first time ever that a government home has given permission to Freedom Firm to begin a business inside the home. Since the beginning of the workshop, there has been a major shift in our relationship with the staff at Karuna home and it is now also becoming a place where girls are being kept for a longer time. In addition to the workshop starting within the home, our constant going back and forth to the officials to prevent the release of girls to unknown individuals has resulted in people being transferred and a new superintendent put in place.
The majority of government homes are lockdown concrete facilities that resemble prisons more than rehabilitation homes. At Karuna, they have allowed Freedom Firm to offer regular employment to the girls, an opportunity to earn money so that they don't waste month after month of their life doing nothing productive. By the time they come out, they have resources and freedom. “It's amazing to be part of an organization that can enter closed remand homes and offer employment to rescued women. It's an opportunity to shape their minds and be part of them dreaming a new dream,” says Mala Malstead.