Left with her older sibling in the largest dumping ground in Asia, Afreen was confined to her immediate surroundings. Her parents stay in their native village with almost no prospects and with no desire to connect with their children. Her two brothers had a room hidden deep in the slums, and her three other sisters lived a small distance down the same lane.
But the atmosphere and environment present in both homes was quite unhealthy. We soon discovered that the more time this young 18 year old stayed with her brothers, the more they boxed her in. Routine verbal and physical abuse from her brothers oppressed Afreen. She was forbidden to study which later lead to a sort of imprisonment at home.
Soon after, rarely was she given the freedom to leave her home. When our community centre opened up literally a stone‘s throw from her doorstep she saw the possibility of change and seized it. After hearing her story, we encouraged the elder sister to allow Afreen to learn tailoring. Through the three months that we have known the young woman, we have watched her become empowered. She is now stitching school uniforms for our Beacon Community School.
Though its only the beginning of what we hope to be a long lasting relationship, we are chasing the dream of a safe home and a bright future for Afreen.
