stories of freedom

All of the women employed by Sari Bari have a story. It is often a brutal story of betrayal, loss and abuse. There are stories of being sold by family members into the trade at 14, stories of working a legitimate job at age 13 only to be raped and then sold by her rapist, stories of broken marriages and desperate poverty that compelled choices no one should have to make.

We met Jamuna in 2006 and spent many hours sharing conversation and tea in her brothel room. Jamuna lived in one of the worst brothels that we have ever been invited into over the years. All the girls there are very young, too young, and there is a constant influx of new faces. Over the years, we built a friendship with Jamuna though the reading and writing classes she attended, regular visits to her room and outings to the movies. When we opened our second Sari Bari location in Songacchi, Jamuna was the first to join us. And she brought other women with her! Jamuna is an advocate for freedom in the red light area, continuously offering the invitation of freedom to other woman even in the face of opposition. So far, Jamuna has referred 10 women and 5 of them are still working at Sari Bari. Jamuna is a hero to so many—to us, to the girls who remain in bondage in her old brothel and to the women whose freedom she gave opportunity.

Chandana is a fighter with an uncommonly tender heart. She is deeply compassionate and loving to her co-workers, and this has inspired her to partner with us in brothel visitation. She is an encouragement and symbol of hope for the girls and woman who remain trapped in the trade. She sits and listens to their stories and is open and vulnerable about sharing her own story when necessary. Her story, one of loss, rejection and deep pain, resonates with women and offers them hope for a way out. Her daily choice for new life has inspired other women to take their first steps on the road to freedom.

Tarina is the daughter of a sex worker and grew up in the red light area. Her mother did her best to keep her out of the trade and succeeded by marrying her off when she only 15 years old. Unfortunately, her new husband’s family was not forgiving of her background and she did not feel welcome in her in-laws home. Once again, she found herself living in the red light area with her husband and two children at the age of 20.

When Tarina came to Sari Bari, she was so excited about the possibility of finding a way out without having to work in the trade as a last resort to feed her family. The pressure has at times been difficult to bear—even her own husband asks why she wants to work so hard at Sari Bari when she could just work in the trade like her mother. But she has remained strong and we are hopeful for her future. She is a feisty woman with a lot of leadership potential and has recently been promoted to a trainer position.

Names have been changed.