Parvati lost her parents to HIV at a young age. As an only child with no support system she began begging at temples to try to feed herself. It was here that she fell victim to a pimp who forced her into prostitution. The police later became aware of her situation using CCTV footage of the temple washrooms and handed her over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The CWC contacted us at New Horizons House and in March 2019, Parvati joined our main campus in Podu.
In the beginning, Parvati was closed-off and uninterested in academics. However, as she began to feel safe again and connected with our house mothers, counselors and the other girls she slowly began to open up and find her spirit again. She has worked hard with the counselors, spending time clarifying her doubts and asking questions of them. She also turned her attention to her studies, learning embroidery, tailoring, cooking, arts and crafts—excelling in particular in the designing of sarees.
Parvati has grown so much during her time with us at New Horizons House. Coming to us as a young girl from a place of desperation and with no educational background she is now a young woman who understands her own worth and the potential she has for her future. She is currently living in our Transition House, for our older girls, and is determined to pursue her dream of becoming an entrepreneur and opening her own small business.
We are so proud of Parvati’s journey and the steps she has taken with us. We cannot wait to see what she does with her bright future!
This is the first part of a six-part series highlighting the journeys of some of our older girls who have gone through our aftercare program in New Horizons House and are taking on the world as graduates in our Transition House.
Stay tuned for next month’s spotlight!
