Malika, 42, is a quiet and humble woman who has suffered a great deal at the expense of her husband. A drunkard and a chauvinist, he sold the family's land for money to buy alcohol. Abused and reduced to poverty, Malika and her daughter had no escape from their oppressive situation. Now, Malika is able to earn money through our Stree Shakti program, which pays wages every Saturday for the women’s work. Shivani participated in the PYDS youth education program. After completing her 12th class, she was accepted into a Bachelor of Tourism Program, where she hopes to become a travel executive and support her mother.

Sonal, 22, joined our program after she was abandoned by her husband - a drunkard who always beat her and finally left her when she bore a daughter. Sonal now stays in a nearby village with her parents. Each day she takes the Stree Shakti bus that transports women from the surrounding villages to the production center. where she is able to earn a wage to care for her daughter, who is cared for in the Shishu Shakti Early Childhood Development Center sdjacent to Stree Shakti. With donations from our kind donors, the society operates a bus free of cost for students, teachers and women in the Stree Shakti program and supports the Shishu Shakti program.

Aarti, 36, was leading a happy and comfortable life before losing her husband to an illness he contracted while doing work as a carpenter in the Middle East. All the money earned from his work disappeared after trying to save his life with expensive treatments. With help from PYDS, Aarti and her daughter are able to rebuild. Aarti is good with embroidery and her talents are now helping her earn a good wage for her and her daughter, who participates in the PYDS education program for youth.

Meenu, 37, is a woman with tremendous will power.  It was Meenu’s need, which in fact, was the stimulus and motivation for starting Stree Shakti. With a polio-affected left leg, her parents married her to a much older mentally ill-balanced man. Even though she knew how to sew, it was impossible for her to go to the city and work. Meenu is now a very senior member of our workforce who helps lead our team of women. Unfortunately, due to the lack of toilet facilities available for women in the village, she lost her second daughter to a Cobra bite when she went to the forest to relieve herself. Thanks to the toilets built by PYDS, with support from the ADOPT Foundation, the women have a safe and sanitary place to relieve themselves.