Sharing stories of determination, courage and resilience

Sanginis are SNEHA's volunteers who are trained to intervene in instances of violence in their communities. 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day. At SNEHA, we take the campaign to our communities every year. This year, we are sharing inspiring stories of courage and determination shown by the survivors of violence and sanginis and the action they took in their communities.

Shezadi Begum Sheikh has been a volunteer for 7 years and mentors our younger sanginis in Dharavi. Here is her Story of action.

Following up on cases of violence by Sanginis (Community Volunteers) is an integral part of Barefoot counseling. Our Sangini, Saira, follows up with a survivor until the survivor is willing and confident to speak to a trained counsellor. Women in violent marriages take time to understand the vicious cycle of violence and gather the courage to seek help. Here is Saira's story about how she supported the survivor

In SNEHA’s interventions, we often use context-specific strategies. Govandi is a volatile informal settlement in Eastern Mumbai. Drug abuse is widespread throughout the community, and cases of violence are often complex. Our Sanginis use different pressure tactics in cases where there is no police support. Meera, a Sangini from Govandi, has placed a signboard for visibility and outreach purposes, and receives many cases. Let’s hear from her.

SNEHA community volunteers, who work with our Prevention of Violence against Women and Children program, often help survivors of violence, to get their lives back on track. One of our Sanginis, Sita, from Dharavi shares her story working with a survivor of domestic violence.

The vulnerability of the woman especially when she doesn't have family or friends around is quite high. Language was a saviour in the case of this woman, at Govandi. A sangini who could comprehend Tamil helped the woman out of chaos. Here is Sabira's story

Our Sanginis or community volunteers often act as the link between the community and police, helping survivors of violence file cases or following-up with the police to make sure that appropriate action is taken. Sanginis such as Anissa not only act as intermediaries between the police and the community but also become true partners to survivors of violence, helping them access meaningful livelihood opportunities and enabling economic empowerment. Here is Anissa's story

Also read: An occasion to appreciate and acknowledge | SNEHA