Sunitha Krishnan
Sunitha Krishnan was born in Bangalore, India, in 1972. Her activist passion began at an early age; between the ages of eight and twelve, she taught dance to special needs children and started school's in the "slum" district for underprivileged youth. While working at a literacy campaign at the age of 15, Krishnan was beaten and raped by a group of men who didn't want a woman interfering in what they called a "man's society." This incident left her partially deaf in one ear, and became the driving force behind her future advocacies.
In 1996, Krishnan co-founded the organization called Prajwala, which means "eternal flame." Prajwala is dedicated to helping victims of sex trafficking in India. The various programs focus on every aspect of rehabilitation from the prostitution industry, including rescuing victims from these tragic situations. Those who are recovered are given shelter, in which they receive medical care for both physical and psychological needs as well as proper education and vocational training so that they can learn to thrive in their communities. Krishnan encourages others to reach out and get involved:
"Together we will end sex slavery across the Globe! I wish to interact with those of you who would like to start/ expand this mission in your own geographical areas. Every month on a designated day and time, I will be available for a live chat from this webpage on exploring the possibilities of spreading this mission world-wide."
Krishnan's cause resonates with women all over the world, whether they have been a victim of sexual abuse, know someone who has, or just want to be an advocate for their fellow women. Even though she faced her own trauma as a young woman, she did not let that stop her mission, but instead used it as fuel to help others. Krishnan never gave up and now she is changing the lives of thousands of people.
Works Consulted:
“CURRENT NEWS.” Prajwala, www.prajwalaindia.com/index.html.
“Sunitha Krishnan, World of Children.” World of Children, worldofchildren.org/honoree/sunitha-krishnan/.
“Sunitha Krishnan.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Oct. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunitha_Krishnan.
I love hearing stories like Sunitha Krishnan's. She's a woman who, despite such an awful thing happening to her, managed to turn around and use that as fuel to help women who go through similar situations. Women like Krishnan should be more widely known for their heroism.
ReplyDeleteThis story of Sunitha is inspiring. I love at how an early age she had a drive to make life better for people. It really puts into perspective how grateful people are who might not have the best life. I also love how she made a terrible situation she went through into a good thing. The activism she is doing is very important, and shows how brave of strong she truly is.
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