“I always saw girls going to work but never thought that I would be amongst them one day”
~Raziya, a resilient survivor of Delhi Pogrom 2020.
She demonstrates a story of hope and transformation. Like other people of Shiv Vihar, Raziya, has fallen prey to the horrific episodes of violence in 2020. The pogrom forced her family to leave their house and take shelter elsewhere.
They returned to Shiv Vihar after eight months, and found things had changed, with security now a major concern. Raziya did not feel secure when left unaccompanied at her residence. Consequently, she enrolled herself in a nearby community center to ensure her safety and well-being. However, a crucial aspect of her life remained incomplete: her desire and her aspirations.
She wanted to live a life of purpose but it seemed bleak and dismal. She had ambitions and wanted to achieve them but lacked necessary assistance. One fortunate day, her fate planned to take a beautiful turn. Her fortunes shifted when she discovered Sabaat. She demonstrated an interest in Joining. Initially, Raziya’s father was hesitant to permit her to join, but he eventually agreed.
Sabaat is an initiative of Miles2Smile, an organisation that was incorporated to help the resilient women of Delhi Pogrom 2020 and other violence survivors. Miles2Smile has always answered the call to every adversity. It has provided relief, education, employment and empowerment to thousands of people. Aiming to empower women, it incorporated Sabaat. Every day, 15 strong women like her make their lives purposeful at Sabaat. They learn stitching, crafting, entrepreneurial skills, and more. On sharing her thoughts with Miles2Smile, Raziya said, she’s beyond happy to be a part of Sabaat.
Raziya enrolled herself at Sabaat and embarked on a journey of transformation. Sabaat helped Raziya learn stitching from scratch, and now is a master of it. She has befriended girls and studies with them during breaks, hence, completing her education as well. Her father who initially stopped her from joining, proudly tells everyone about his daughter’s achievements. He boasts about how flawlessly his daughter stitches pants.
Raziya is not the only one who had to witness dehumanization, there are thousands of women like her who happen to face this daily. But only few of them get a transformational journey like Raziya, Miles2Smile aims to transform the journey of all other women. We are working hard to empower them and help them achieve a status in life.
