Breaking the Cycle
By Sarah Guidone, Director of Operations
My heart filled with joy getting to see Bharathy again. I was on a Tirzah Trip this past fall where we visited her organization, Kshamata, in Mumbai. The range of emotions from that one day in India did not seem humanly possible. Soon after our reunion, I was totally humbled as “Mahima” shared her story. Bits and pieces came through the translator. Her parents sold her when she was nine. She was still in “the trade.” But more trapped than many as she is married to the brothel owner’s son. They have two daughters together. In recent years, she reconnected with her biological family who told her to just leave her girls and move back to their village. With fight and determination, Mahima shared there is no way she is going to do that.
She has dreams for her future: to speak English, to be a mother that her daughters are proud of, to have a house of her own, and to see her girls grow up with an education that will take them in a different direction. She’s going to break the cycle. My hopes for Mahima swelled as she described her dreams and the work she has already done. I sat in my chair, overwhelmed by the obstacles and unsure how to help, but confident that Mahima has been gifted with power beyond her circumstances and that our Global Leader Bharathy knows how to guide her through a process of transformation.
Mahima has been consistently showing up to Kshamata where she receives comprehensive training. Her mind is sharp as she embraces what she’s learned in her small business training. She proudly showed us the array of beauty products that she sells as her small business. It is her path to freedom.
Women around the world are marginalized just because they are born women. Meeting these incredible sisters who have hopes and dreams for their futures—because of Tirzah—made me all the more determined to partner with our network of Global Leaders. I don’t have the answers for every act of gender injustice, but, together, we’re creating solutions. It’s why we partner with local leaders who every day are working to provide opportunities for our sisters to rise.
My heart shatters again thinking about the “what ifs” if she had not found Bharathy. Instead, I find solace in knowing that Mahima is getting the help she needs, has a plan for her daughters, and fierce a determination that the path of her life will not be repeated by them.
We are so grateful for partners who are investing in women changing the world as we work together to make the world a more equitable place for women and girls.
