Walking up the wooden stairs to the platform, Ankita was careful not to step on the hem of her orange and pink sari. She had dressed carefully this morning, added some fragrant jasmine flowers to her hair, and pinched her cheeks to give them some color. She couldn’t believe this day of celebration had finally come.
Ankita was receiving her government-accredited diploma for her work as a phlebotomist assistant. She had worked for six months studying and attending classes. She learned how to draw blood from sick patients, test it, and help doctors make diagnoses to help suffering people return to good health. She could now bring healing to women, children, and families who often face isolation and constant fear. Her new skills would change their lives.
Her hard work earned her a guaranteed job and living wages.
For Ankita, a young woman who grew up denied the right to dream, this was beyond her wildest imagination.
Seated in the audience were her two young children, Sunitha and Suresh. While their mother was attending her courses, they studied at a local DFN school. The whole family was broadening their education and knowledge in a way that would transform their lives. Just a few short years ago, they didn’t have enough food to eat, and they suffered the abuse of traffickers. Today, their dignity is restored and they have reclaimed hope for a positive, thriving future.
As we celebrate Mother’s Day this year, we rejoice with women like Ankita, who have been rescued from a life of terror and have renewed the joy of life. This year alone, nearly 300 young women, some mothers and some hoping to be mothers, graduated from DFN’s skills training programs. Receiving government-sponsored certificates in garment making, beautician training, computer literacy, and paramedical skills, the smiles on these women’s faces express the thrilling freedom they will now experience.
Your love for women trapped in exploitation transformed Ankita’s life. In DFN’s Gift Guide, you have the chance to help others by providing the same skills training to others. Every six months, hundreds more women enter these life-changing programs. Will you make that possible for other dear women today?
Because of you, Ankita and her sweet children can dream dreams and watch those dreams come true.
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Persecution of Christians is rising in India. To protect the work you do and our brothers and sisters in India, we are unable to operate the full DFN website at this time.
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