Nimu* grew up in a village in West Bengal. She remembers a time of abject poverty in her family when she was young. It was difficult for her parents to make ends meet at home as they were a large family – the parents, 6 sisters, and a brother. Her father worked selling metal scraps and her mother was employed as a domestic helper in the village. There was never enough to pay for the things the family needed.
Nimu’s mother worked at the residence of the owners of the village sweet shop – Riyazul and Sulaiman. Her mother was quite familiar with the men and didn’t object when the men offered to take Nimu to her relative’s place in another village. They took her to a brothel in Haldia, West Bengal where she faced sexual abuse for 29 days. She was rescued by an anti-trafficking organization and is presently working at Freedom Firm’s micro-enterprise business, Ruhamah Designs where she has completed her training and is now an expert artisan.
Nimu still experiences the after-effects of betrayal and abuse and is learning to cope with life’s challenges.
*name changed to protect identity