A monsoon shower—sudden and intense—hovered over the village like a wet blanket. A primitive well covered with makeshift netting stood in the center of town. Children skipped along the narrow lanes littered with trash and animal waste. The sounds of goats and chickens filled the air. Women gossipped in the doorways of their humble homes while sheltering their open cooking fires from the rain. Rainwater filled the open sewers and sometimes overflowed. This scene could play out almost anywhere in India during the rainy season.
But this wasn’t just any village—this was Lakkamma’s* village—her home for all of her life.
It was a hard life—a lonely one.
Dedicated to a goddess and trapped in ritualized sex work from the unimaginable age of eight, it was all she knew.
Although she was still young, her body was bent and her face was lined from years of abuse, trauma, and pain. In her world, she was an outcast…just another woman to abuse, then cast aside.
At her lowest point, she wondered if her life was worth living…
But then you sent a DFN team to her village. And that changed everything for Lakkamma.
It began with counselling…then medical care and all the emotional and physical support she needed to heal. And something began to stir within her spirit. She felt alive for the first time in her life – she was beginning to rise…
Lakkamma began to learn to read, then write. As she entered vocational skills training, she discovered she had a talent for business—and with the seed grant you sent her, she opened a small vegetable stand just adjacent to the center of the village—behind that well.
That was 15 months ago. Today, Lakkamma has expanded her product line. Besides the vegetables she now purchases wholesale to resell, she markets sarees and jewelry…and she has a tea and chili press on the side. She has even purchased her own property! She is an entrepreneur with multiple income streams, standing tall and supporting her family with dignity.
But healing from her past and the success of her business was only the beginning of Lakkama’s transformation. Through the loving care of the team you sent, she discovered she is loved; she is God’s priceless creation. She is no longer trapped in a downward spiral of depression and abuse. You have helped her break free!
And now she’s passing it on.
She has become the protector of the girls in her village. She files charges against those who try to exploit them. She fights for their freedom—she even stops dedications to the goddess in their tracks. When she speaks about “her girls,” her face beams with pride.
Still, Lakkamma faces hardship because of her background. Just a few weeks ago, her own family members vandalized her property, littering it with dangerous electrical wire and other debris. She was upset, but she was undeterred. Immediately after she discovered what they had done, she marched down to the police station, filed a case, and the family members were ordered to clean up the property and not trespass again.
This is the true power of hope, the power of affirming every woman’s dignity…and the power of loving acts done in the name of Jesus.
This is the power of Lakkamma—and her entire village—rising…and you made it possible. Thank you!
*Our stories are always real. We change names and photos to protect the identity and uphold the dignity of those we serve.
