Before URJA Trust came into existence, co-founders Altaf Shaikh and Deepali Vandana were part of an organisation that was working with homeless women on the streets. When that organisation was shutting down, they faced a choice: let the work end or find a way to continue it. “We didn’t want this work to close down and so we established URJA Trust (UT) in 2014,” says Shaikh.
The women who reach UT come with varied experiences. Some have faced physical or sexual abuse at home, while others leave after the arrival of a step-parent changes their circumstances. Some leave in the hope of finding better employment. Others have been trafficked and manage to escape. The organisation works with such women experiencing homelessness and gender-based violence.
“Once they are out of those spaces, they have nowhere to go. They’re on the streets and facing even more violence. That’s the need which we identified,” says Deepali Vandana, co-founder and managing trustee, UT. They developed a three-stage shelter programme to provide a safe space while helping women gradually move towards independent living.
The first is the crisis shelter, where immediate needs are addressed. This includes an initial health check and counselling, while giving women time to settle into an unfamiliar city and environment. They typically stay for around 10 to 15 days, or longer if a health check is still underway, before deciding whether they want to return home, have another place to go, or stay on. “They are new to us, new to the environment and new to the city. They have travelled a long distance and are carrying a lot of pain, anger and emotions with them. The whole idea is to let them settle down,” Shaikh says.
For those who choose to remain, the next stage is the development shelter, where they can stay for six to nine months depending on their progress. The focus shifts towards education, livelihood and stability. They can pursue non-formal or formal education, with educational support continuing even after they leave the shelter.
A three-stage shelter programme helps survivors |
The final stage is a group home, where residents move towards independent living alongside others with similar experiences before eventually stepping out into society. The model evolved over time rather than being fully formed from the beginning. “We realised that there has to be a different way of having a safe space programme, and that’s the way we designed it,” says Vandana.
Thomas M. Cherian, Managing Director, Essel Mining, Aditya Birla Group |
Thomas M. Cherian, Managing Director, Essel Mining, Aditya Birla Group, shares, “Urja’s work is around women in distress, particularly young women who arrive in Mumbai in difficult circumstances, from different parts of the country, often without basic documents. At railway stations, they can easily become vulnerable to trafficking and the sex trade. Urja’s team identifies them and brings them to their shelter, where they feel safe and can begin to trust. They are then supported systematically, first to stabilise and later to develop skills and become independent. What I like about the work is that it helps prevent trafficking and enables these women to rebuild their lives with dignity.”
If you would like to get in touch with the NGO, you can call at 9819806266.
