SHE IS SAFE

Equipping Vulnerable Women and Girls in India

REQUEST: $2,500 to equip 19 at-risk teenage girls and women to develop vocational, literacy, and leadership skills in a Gospel-centered environment, building lives toward a strong future through our She Is Safe Transformation Groups.

Population: 1,339,330,514
Languages: Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7%, Gujarati 4.6%, Urdu 4.2%, Kannada 3.6%, Odia 3.1%, Malayalam 2.9%, Punjabi 2.7%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.1%
Religions: Hindu 79.8%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.7%
Median Age: 28.7 years

SHE IS SAFE

Since 2002, She is Safe’s mission has been to prevent, rescue and restore women and girls from suffering abuse and exploitation in high-risk communities around the world, equipping them to build lives of freedom and faith for a strong future. Our vision is to see every girl safe, free, and equipped to become the person God created her to be.

THE NEED

The majority of the nearly 8 million people enslaved in India are women and girls according to the Global Slavery Index, and 99% of those trafficked for sex are women and girls. Impoverished “untouchables” make up 50 percent of India’s population, and these women and girls are considered the lowest of the outcasts, making them the most vulnerable in the world to abuse and sex trafficking.

THE PROJECT

She Is Safe’s Transformation Group (TG) program brings at-risk women or teen girls together to equip them to build new lives of freedom, dignity, and purpose. Our unique program takes a holistic approach, protecting women and girls from being trafficked by addressing their deepest vulnerabilities and ministering to them physically, spiritually, and emotionally while empowering them to support themselves. Transformation Groups are led by local Christian women trained and coached by She Is Safe staff.

Each group provides members literacy, anti-trafficking, income generation and leadership skills as well as systems for saving, lending, and giving pools that are managed by the group. Members apply to borrow funds to start businesses and generate income.

Image Copyright: She is Safe

She is Safe in India

Image Copyright: She is Safe

Roshni’s Story

Roshni was a humble woman with little confidence when she joined the TG in her community. She rarely spoke up during meetings. When her husband fell off the roof while working, he became bedridden, leaving the family without income. At first, Roshni had to be her husband’s full-time caregiver, so her TG friends pitched in to help with food and other needs. Members of her TG and She Is Safe field workers encouraged her to start a business. Roshni and her husband began a small snack shop and ran it together until the COVID-19 lockdown, after which they operated it from their home. Although Roshni never had a formal education, she learned practical skills in her TG and experienced the value of being in a community of women. She grew in confidence, and she learned about finances as well as how to run a successful business. She spent most of her life as a Hindu, and is now a follower of Jesus, attends prayer meetings and is thankful to God.