Rescued from child marriage and a violent father

Khushboo, a 21 year old enthusiastic girl started her journey with DIDI’S in 2012. Over the last 3 years she has evolved as a person, and has become a far more responsible and cabal individual. Khushboo claims to have taken control over her life and is constantly striving to maintain her independence — financial and emotional. Khushboo, now lives with her uncle, aunt and grandmother. She was a victim of her father’s violent activities for many years, and was forced to leave school and take care of her siblings after her mother and step passed away. Her father was an alcoholic and spent a bulk of the family income on his drinking. He showed no love or support towards the family - all they were witness to was his temper and drunken behavior. Khushboo during her late teens was often forced to meet boys and consider marriage with them - however she held her ground and always refused, with the support of her grandmother, when her father made such introductions.

Khushboo as a little girl was unaware of the importance of education, her legal rights, privileges as a woman in the society. It was only, many years later when she was enrolled back in school, at Prerna Girls School, by her grandmother - did she gradually start developing into a stronger, educated more confident person. Khushboo is now completing her Bachelors degree from Lucknow University.

She is a responsible worker and handles most tasks at work independently. Khushboo wishes to become a teacher sometime in the future and also aspires to do her Masters, and lead a happy life with her grandmother. In spite of constant negative provocations from her uncle and aunt Khushboo feels positive about herself and her life. She has received immense support and encouragement from her grandmother and is growing up beautifully. She is determined to take on her own life as a strong minded, independent and well educated woman.

Victim to a fifteen year unhealthy marriage full of violence, abuse, stress and anxiety. She is now a capable sales woman and a professional driver!

Monica delivering food around Lucknow city.

Monica a young 36 year old started her journey with DiDi’s in 2010. Over the last 4 years she has transformed her life like never before. Monica claims to have changed for the better in more ways than she could have ever imagines, and her family, friends and coworkers are all witness to that. She is a mother of two, a daughter who is 13yeras of age and a son who just turned 10 recently. Monica was victim to a terrible marriage for about 15 years and only recently found it in her to separate from her husband, 3 years ago. Shewas in her mid teens when her family got her married to her husband, against her will.

This was not a happy union, nonetheless she tried very hard to compromise and adjust to her husbands needs to make it work. Soon after she had both her children. During these 15 years of marriage she was subjected to verbal and sexual violence, domestic squabbles that lead to physical violence. Often she would land up in hospital after being desperately beaten by her husband who was an alcoholic. In his bouts of alcoholism he would beat Monica and both his children every other day if not everyday. After suffering for over a decade she finally mustered the courage and confidence to walk out and fend for herself. She was financially broke, emotionally devastated, traumatized and felt a sense of hopelessness. She did not have a plan or any idea of what her life would be life going forward.

Monica bravely moved in with her parents, much against their wishes. She would take care of her sick father and on the side was looking for work to sustain herself financially. In a few weeks of doing so, she came across DiDi’s and decided this was it. She was ready to take control of her life and put together a future for herself and her children. She started working with DiDi’s creations and took to it like a fish takes to water. She came alive with all the activity around her and started enjoying work more than she had thought possible. Spending time with all the women, working along side them, chatting with them – was an experience she had nevereven imagined. Work was no longer just work – it was a place where she attained bliss and was at peace. She made friends and opened up to all of them, by sharing her life fearlessly. It was joyous and overwhelming, and she looked forward to being at work every morning.

Over the last four years Monica has developed into a strong, confident person with an ability to take decisions. She is a responsible worker and heads the DiDi’s creations store at Study Hall School. Her marketing and sales skills have also come a long way. She is now able to single handedly take care of customers, old and new, and make a good profit from sales. Her sales have gone up and we have seen many new customers come to the store, which also speaks of her relationship development skills. In addition, Monica is now successfully trained as a professional driver and is able and willing to take on driving duties for DiDi’s in the near future.

Once a victim of Child Marriage, living in an oppressive home – Now an Empowered, strong women, dreaming of a brighter future for herself and her children

Struggling to stay afloat and build an identity for herself, Santosh joined DiDi’s in 2015. She came from an oppressive, dark home with 6 men (6 brothers), one of which was her husband. The constant harassment, discrimination, abuse and suffocation at home, was far from what Santosh had imagined life would be. She was married at a young age of 17 without a complete understanding of what a partnership / marriage would mean. She slowly understood that marriage for her was not happiness – it was in fact a prison where she lost herself to serving an alcoholic, unemployed husband.

She soon became a young mother and in the process found some interim joy – however that was not sustained happiness as she was not happy from within. Her inability to make choices, having no voice or no identity of her own, would frustrate her. She suffered this life for 7 years – a life of domestic violence, gender-based violence and abuse as she did not think that there was an alternative option. She had just resigned herself to her destiny. Till one day she heard about DiDi’s from a neighbor, who was working with DiDi’s. These two women met while DiDi’s was conducting a community mobilization campaign in Santosh’s neighborhood in Lucknow.

Santosh, much against the wishes of her husband and the rest of family, came to work at DiDi’s. She is now a cook with DiDi’s, and has learned how to cook vegetables, rice, roti (bread) and many other Indian delicacies. Not only is she skilled in the art of cooking, but she is also trained in customer relationship management, inventory management and is now aspiring to be a driver with DiDi’s Drivers!

Santosh has found herself through her work and is living a life of satisfaction and appreciation. She is her happiest self while she is at work at DiDi’s, with her friends and the whole DiDi’s family! Her financial and emotional independence – has strengthened her courage (and her smile) to move her life forward towards a personal mission to succeed. She is a proud successful cook on a mission and is also educating her 2 children with the money she earns by cooking food at DiDi’s. Her aspirations of becoming a driver are strong and she dreams of driving the DiDi’s food delivery van very soon!