Gangraped at 15, Now Runs One of India’s Biggest NGOs
This is the story of Sunitha Krishnan who was gangraped when she was 15 and now run’s one of India’s biggest NGO to support other victims.
Rape is a henious crime and enough to exhaust a family both mentally and physically because of the trauma it causes not just to the victim but everyone who is related to her.
This is the story of Sunitha Krishnan and what she stands for. Sunitha Krishnan was only 15 years old when she was gang-raped by 8 men. The horrific feeling of being raped didn't haunt her as much as the shame, the guilt, the exclusion, the stigma she was subjected to, made to feel like a criminal for a crime she never committed. The unfairness of the attitude, the anger she had was the driving force in her took her from a victim girl to a strong, independent woman now. Very shockingly and surprisingly, even after 28 years, the anger in her burns strong. Her anger grows with the increasing number of rapes in the country.
That anger started her, drives her and sustains her to work for the victims who are raped brutally for no reasons of theirs, but to satisfy the lust of a few men. She co-founded Prajwala, which is an NGO fighting against human trafficking and which has saved more than 18,000 lives so far who were forced into prostitution. What's more inspiring is that In the process of saving lives, she has been attacked 14 times by criminals and left impaired with her right ear, but her determination only strengthened over time. Prajwala extends moral, financial, legal, and social support to victims of trafficking and ensures that victims are brought to justice.
During Prajwala’s early years, Sunitha Krishnan had to sell her jewellery and even most of her household utensils to make ends meet. Even today, in fact, the organization relies on her awards or her husband for finances. But monetary limitations have not proved to be limitations to Prajwala’s ambitions. Moreover, the NGO has educated over 8,000 children – children of prostitutes, children of vulnerable communities, children at risk of being trafficked.
Sunitha Krishnan is also an enthusiastic filmmaker. Her films have won several international, national, and state awards. They focus on issues like trafficking, rehabilitation of survivors, rape etc.
The story of Sunitha Krishnan is a live example for all of us to never lose hope no matter how hard you feel the situation is. Sunitha Krishnan is an inspiration and her life has motivated many others & will forever serve as an idol example.
