March 2017 New HorizonsDRF’s Quarterly Newsletter Volume 13 | Issue 5 COVER STORY REFUSE TO BE SILENCED Pg. 1 About us Dr Reddy’s Foundation (DRF) is a not-for-profit organization committed to enabling economically and socially vulnerable groups to take control of their lives. Set up in 1996 by Dr Anji Reddy as a result of his faith in the innate capacity of the human being for progress when provided with an appropriate environment; the organization focuses on education, livelihood, health and nutrition. We develop and test innovative solutions to address adaptive social problems and support scaling up of impact by leveraging the power of partnerships. We work with Children, Youth (including Persons with Disabilities) Women and Households in 20 States in India. Vision To enable sustainable social impact at scale Mission To empower communities through improved education, livelihood and health outcomes Strategy To develop and test innovative solutions to address adaptive social problems and support scaling up of impact by leveraging the power of partnerships Values - Practice honesty and integrity under all situations - Strive to bring excellence in every aspect of our work - Do things differently and innovate constantly - Accept change and see new situations as opportunities to learn and grow - Take personal responsibility for achieving specific, measurable outcomes and track results - Respect others and be sensitive to their opinions, cultures, beliefs and diversity - Establish good relationships by helping people feel valued, included, acknowledged and appreciated - Take ownership beyond one’s own role to protect the organization’s interest - Trust our stakeholders and be accountable for results - Actively seek, give feedback and welcome suggestions and corrections. FROM THE EDITOR CONTENT Dear Readers, As we try to make New Horizons more relevant and COVER interesting for our wide audience, we have tried to link STORY the main theme of each edition to a prominent calendar Pg. 04 event in that particular quarter. With Women’s Day popping up as a significant event in March, we thought it was just the right time to focus on women who make you sit up and take notice of them not because they are women but because their work cannot be ignored. RURAL STORIES OF I think it was Suzy Kassem who wrote that the true test of a FOCUS CHANGE warrior is how your ‘stance’ holds up after any ‘circumstance’. Pg. 12 Pg. 15 Our cover story - ‘Refuse to be silenced’ - is not just in sync with the 2017 Women’s Day theme ‘#BeBoldforChange’ but it focuses on four irrepressible women – Sunitha Krishnan, Anjali Lama, Laxmi Agarwal and Virali Modi - whose “stance” defies every barrier only to bounce back from the DRF deepest abyss and use that experience as a springboard HIGHLIGHTS to do some groundbreaking action to help other women. Pg. 18 Sure there are many women who have not made it to the headlines but they continue undeterred in their goals. Some of our own students – young women from very difficult settings - have inspired us with their amazing IN resilience and tenacity. This edition show cases one of our DRF heroes – Anuradha - who has overcome her own CONVERSATION challenges to become an exemplary model to others. Pg. 20 Our ‘Rural Focus’ highlights MITRA- an innovative DRF program that works on the ground through “lead farmers”, whose farms have been transformed as information hubs for local farmers to get hands-on New Horizons is a quarterly publication of Dr Reddy’s Foundation. training on new farming techniques and information tools. DRF is not responsible for the opinions expressed by the writers. Editor: Reena Mathai Luke In addition to our regular features and updates, this Sub-Editor: Sravani Gade, Ayushi Khandelwal edition also includes an interview with an engaging Design: Avish John Thomas (Independent Designer) NGO head from Pune. Ramdas Mhatre, founder of Prahar Apang Kranti Andolan, is a champion who refuses to be silent on issues related to persons with disability. We hope you will enjoy reading this edition. Do write and give us your feedback. Regards, Reena Mathai Luke Pg. 3 COVER STORY REFUSE TO BE SILENCED ourage, Audacity and Grit. Indeed these three words are the leitmotif of this issue’s cover story. Simple adjectives Cbut when fused together because of soul searing experiences, they open up the floodgates of resolve. Stories of ordinary human beings, unrecognized faces who went about their daily lives till events beyond their control knocked them down. Overnight their values, relationships and even their perspective of everything that they cherished got undid. They know what it is to hit rock bottom; have juggled with pain, loneliness, humiliation and desperation. They have been mocked by neighbours, disowned by friends Sunitha Krishnan and some even by their families. But like the proverbial phoenix, they have risen out of the ashes stronger and better. And it does not stop there. Against all advice, would know better than her, the pain and trauma each of them has stepped out to take on the very of being violated and stigmatized. A rape survivor menace that changed their world, not for vengeance – she has told her story over and over again without or accolades but because someone had to do it…had mincing any words - forcing her detractors to to take a stand. wonder why does she have to even talk about it? And this indeed is the paradox that Sunitha tries I have closely watched Sunitha Krishnan speak on to draw your attention to. We rather encourage a several platforms both live and on TV but it was only rape victim to be silent and blank it out as quickly as when I bent to hug her that I realized how diminutive possible than talk about it. For truth be told, such talks she really she is. But don’t let her size fool you to think make most of us cringe and rather uncomfortable that she is frail or malleable. than face it. Except that Sunitha refuses to be silenced. She looks you straight in the eye and says “Frankly, I do Just four feet and six inches, Sunitha Krishnan is not remember the rape part of it but I vividly recollect a tall woman who few can measure up to. Her the surge of anger.” There is a long pause before she formidable reputation as an advocate for trafficked adds “I derive my power from that anger and I will children and women has pushed her on to the fight trafficking tooth and nail to my dying day.” world stage and even got her the Padma Shri but She deftly steers all talk away from her personal life. But Sunitha remains dispassionate about all such talk. to be fair, that should not be surprising, for her entire What fires her up and gets her to show any kind adult life revolves round trafficking so the lines between of emotion, is when she talks about trafficking. her personal life and work are often blurred. But on the The simmering anger is understandable, for who rare occasions when she does talk about herself, you Pg. 4 Photo credit: Mentor Me India Picture courtesy:Picture Google Images Anjali Lama Laxmi Agarwal callous policemen or worrying about pugnacious “…the power and the pain defense lawyers. As for her critiques, many of whom think she does it for extra mileage – so be it. She is not are both within oneself holding a brief for any one. She would rather focus her energy on fighting trafficking and supporting women and you need to make the who have been rescued by her NGO called Prajwala. choice. I made mine and I Today Prajwala has rescued more than 17,500 trafficked victims and despite knowing too well pay a price for it.” that trafficking for sex and organs is one of the most lucrative, dangerous and nexus driven operations; - Sunitha Krishnan she admits that she is in it for the long fight. get to see a simple and vulnerable woman like any one Sunitha has braved several threats and assaults. An of us. However, in between those lines what you can’t irreparably damaged right ear, a painful fracture and miss is that she is also wired with steely determination. the numbness of witnessing one’s colleague being “Stubborn is the word I am more familiar with”, shot right in front of you, are all things that she has she says wryly when you comment about it. silently dealt with. Her house has been broken into, At 15, she did not blink before her rapists and her staff beaten up, she has been dragged, kicked, now even after three decades, that anger has not punched and much more - all to arm twist her into diminished but gives her the courage to take on silence. But does that mean she is going to stay silent? ruthless traffickers without getting intimidated by She smiles, shakes her head very slowly and adds Pg. 5 Picture courtesy:Picture Google Images “There is no dichotomy in my thoughts and action matter, her present. In fact she wears her identity and that perhaps is most liberating. So whatever with pride. Nepal’s first transgender model (that’s people might say or think, I cannot afford to carry how a google search describes her) ,Anjali the baggage of selective truths and untruths”, says Lama is here to stay and even shine. Sunitha matter-of-factly and elaborates “the power and the pain are both within oneself and you need When Anjali Lama sashayed down the catwalk, her to make the choice. I made mine and I pay a price élan and grace was something that most people for it.