In 2021, India was facing a humanitarian disaster due to COVID-19 that devastated already marginalized and disadvantaged communities.

Aura Freedom mobilized and is still mobilizing support for a community we know well.

Aura Freedom mobalized support for a community we know well. Aura Freedom’s beginnings were in South Asia and we have extensive experience implementing relief projects with local activists for women and communities.

To support families in India during COVID-19, we are working with our good friend Urmi Basu and her team at New Light Kolkata to support children and families in the Kalighat community of Kolkata. New Light provides shelter, food and education to children of Kalighat’s sex workers and survivors of human trafficking.

The Kalighat community is economically and socially disadvantaged. The children of Kalighat are at risk of exploitation at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic. Sex crimes against children in India increased in 2020 and social programs are vital, to say the least.

The support we receive from Canadians is crucial and life changing for so many. For example, support meant that New Light’s Soma Girls Home could remain open and provide a safe place where young girls from disadvantaged families receive education, nutritious food, safe lodging off the street, recreational activities and mentorship from community leaders. It also meant New Light’s other shelter for children at risk of human trafficking, Starfish Playschool, remained open during the height of the pandemic in Sonagachi, another red light district and the biggest one of Kolkata. This was important because many children in Sonagachi had limited supervision, inadequate nutrition, neglected health, and other social issues. 

A brand new school for 250 children in Nepal and a dream come true.

The Shree Bhumimata secondary school was forced to close its doors after being badly damaged in the 2015 Nepal earthquake.

The school served more than 250 children from disadvantaged families in the community of Bethanchwok-4 Kavre, Nepal. Its students, most of them from the Tamang tribe, were forced to attend class in a temporary space which was crowded, cold and ill-equipped. Learning became more difficult, decreasing the quality of education.

Aura Freedom collaborated with our longtime local partners Maiti Nepal to begin the process of rebuilding the school over the course of 4 years. Maiti Nepal led the project locally as we worked with multiple partners, organizations and businesses to make the school a reality. 

Rebuilding the school was necessary to the education of 250 children in Bethanchwok-4 Kavre, reducing the number of children currently out of school in the village and decreasing the amount of school dropouts. Rebuilding the school was also crucial to increase the school attendance of girls in the area, which is key to combating gender-based violence, child marriage, human trafficking and increasing gender equality.

Over the course of more than 4 years – through countless site visits, needs assessments, planning meetings, and consultations with the local community (as well as government bureaucracy and red tape) – we are proud to announce that the Shree Bhumimata Secondary School was successfully rebuilt and reopened its beautiful new doors for the community in the Fall of 2020. 

Aura Freedom also worked with local leaders to create a set of recommendations and a training plan for the school to increase gender equality and prevent gender-based violence and gender discrimination at the school level and ensure the school is safe and welcoming to girls and all women staff. 

250 children now have a safe school in which to learn and further their education. 250 children now have access to an education that will help them escape child marriage, human trafficking, gender-based violence and poverty.

Education is the silver bullet to ending gender inequality, gender-based violence and human trafficking, and is integral in building a more just society. Aura Freedom believes that there is nothing more important than the education of children to build a more equal and peaceful society. After all, children grow up to be adults, and educated adults are more likely to lead healthy, happy and non-violent lives.

Post-Earthquake Support, Protection, Education and Empowerment for Women and Girls in Nepal

THE PROBLEM

Gender-based violence increases in emergencies because of the exacerbation of inequities, displacement of communities, absence of law and order, lack of adequate basic services, and the breakdown of social support networks. As a result, women and girls of all ages need protection, support, and access to services in emergencies. Those from marginalized communities are increasingly vulnerable. 8,000,000 people were affected by the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal and 40,000 are women and girls in our area of work were at immediate risk of violence.

THE PROJECT

This project provided multiple Female Friendly Spaces (FFS) in various post-earthquake camps in Nepal where women and girls could go to report incidences of violence, seek services, be referred to medical care or trauma counselling, attend awareness workshops and feel safe. The FFS also provided activities for children and temporary shelter for women and girls. In emergency situations, violence against women and girls increases drastically, as well as harmful practices such as child marriage.

The Female Friendly Spaces brought awareness to the growing problem of gender-based violence both in general and within the camps through workshops and activities for women and their children, an awareness campaign directed at all camp residents, and theatrical performances that shed light on violence against women and harmful practices. The space also served as a 24-hour place of protection and referral agency with gender-trained staff who referred women and girls of all ages to health, legal and other services available to them through our collaboration with Apeiron Nepal, local Police and other local NGOs.

Each FFS targeted the entire camp community, with a focus on women and girls. It decreased the risk of gender-based violence in the camps and increased access to services for female survivors of violence. It also reduced the stigma associated with sexual violence by providing women with human rights awareness and support, and by providing the whole camp community with education. Providing women and girls with education and access to services empowers them to protect themselves and their fellow community members. Educating communities reduces violence for years to come and bring awareness to human rights abuses like child and forced marriage.