Mangala Prodhan - Life Story of a Bengali sex worker

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4D9703661D89DE3B
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The Darbar Mahila Samanvaya Samiti is an example of when the expression of knowledge and solidarity in one collective voice can help even the most vulnerable and socially exploited persons to start recognizing and exercising their rights. And when they do so, there is a sense of more dignity and security among the entire community.
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http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Development_Cooperation_Handbook/Stories/Living_with_Dignity

i got married at the age of 14 while I was still studying in school

Mangala Prodhan

My husband become mentally ill within a year of marriage.

I left my home with a son and a daughter

i tried to make the marriage work for atleast 4-5 years

but I finally failed ot make it work.

So, I went back to my parents house

My parents suggested that I marry again

but i did not agree because my children were still young.

I was afraid that if I married again, the new family might send my children away

So, I told my parents that I would take my children with me and raise the kids by myself

and will not marry again

I lived with my children in my parents home for some time.

Then my brothers started fighting with me so I left home.

Then someone offered me a job for house work.

I left my children with my parents and went to work

I stayed there for long time,

and used to send money to my parents

but even that family started to beat me without any reason

They sent me to a factory in Sibpur, a place in Howrah district.

There they threatened me that if I didn't work as a sex worker,

they wouldn't give me money

I tried not to do this kind of work

but as my parents demanded me for money for the kids, I

had to become a sex worker

At that time, I was around 20-22 years old.

I was very afraid, and my conscience questioned me

on why why I continued with such profession when I belonged from a good family.

But when I saw that I could not take my children back and raise them well unless I earned money,

and I learned that my parents and brothers were planning

to sell the children for money,

i brought my children in the brothel

but due to lack of space here, I sent them to a children's home.

So, they started studying there.

But i could not keep the girl in the children's home because I did not have sufficient money.

Then, I married off my six year old daughter to someone.

After I did this, my life became miserable.

i did not know anything about the law on marrying children below-age

and I was sent to jail.

When I came out of jail, the government put my daughter into a children's home

and did not allow her to stay with me.

I told them that I got my daughter married off at such a young age only because

I did not want her to stay with me in brothel

i never wanted my daughter to become a sex worker also

i let her get married because the family was agreed to give money

at the time of marriage i get caught

and sent to the jail

government took responsibility of the girl till 18 years

in the meantime i was earning money as a sex worker

i made my house also

when my daughter become 18 years, i got her back

and she continued study while staying with me

when she was 20 years old, i let her get married

she is now happy with her family and kids

i also left working as sex worker

now i am working in mamata care and treatment centre

here it is good for my health also

i always try to explain others about the problems oh HIV positive

where to get treatment, what are their rights

how to fight for their rights,where to go in hospital

this is why i am working in the care and treatment centre

while working here, i have found the right direction towards future

i never knew people can live

even if affected with HIV positive

now i know the actual problems of HIV

i used to think HIV is fatal and people can never live with HIV

after working at ICTC, now i know HIV is only a virus

if only HIV enters in human body, he dont die

but if HIV as well as Tuberculosis enters human body, he/she can die

now i feel satisfied by explaining others

i explain others by comparing with me

that people dont die from HIV

they have the rights to live

they can live just like other normal people

i take them to hospital for treatment

i have shown them one way to live

we also have clinics under TI project

there are doctors in clinics,

and we take them to clinics for any disease like fever, bad stomach or even sexual disease

even we have advocates of our Durbar Union

they provide support to any social or family problems of sex workers

suppose somebody is affected with HIV

she is having children and her family dont take care of her

then we have advocates from Durbar Union

who helps her getting her rights

we even follow her up in her house so that she does not get beaten up by her family

and we provide her counselling service too

so that she never felt alone

at present our network has 215 members

we organize a meeting once in a month

all the members join that meeting

we also provide food rationing system to those who are not financially stable

we provide 8 kg rice, 6 kg flour, soyabeans, cereals, biscuits every month

so that she can live at least by taking food

all the time we provide mental support

that we are with you

we repeatedly tell them HIV is not AIDS, its only a virus

if you dont take medicines, then it will converted to AIDS

then you will not have any resistance power

we explain them that unless you take madicine, it will be converted to AIDS

In this way we also become mentally satisfied,feel happy by doing some good to others

these days we do counselling by ourselves

that i am a HIV positive, and we teach them how to use condom so that they dont get affected

we even teach our own children to use condom

we always force others to use condoms

here we show them how to use condom by using dildo

we tell them that if a condom bursts, then HIV virus may enter in the human body

you dont know who has HIV virus or not

and if it enters once, it will never come out in this life

it will start reducing your resistance power, if you dont take treatment

and you will be getting affected by other diseases

that they dont get affected by HIV, we always advise the customers to use condom

we explain them the other ways of getting affected by HIV

always use new injection syringes

if we take blood in hospital, it has to be checked for HIV

if a pregnant woman is HIV affected

we take her to PPCT and give medicines so that the child does not born with HIV

we always provide counselling and mental support to them

SHE IS DIAGNOSED WITH HIV IN 2005, AND SINCE THEN WITH THE HELP OF DURBAR UNION SHE HAS BEEN TAKING TREATMENT FOR IT

SHE HAS WORKED WITH MAMTA CARE AND TREATMENT CENTER AND ALWAYS HELPED OTHERS EXPLAINING ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF HIV AFFECTED PERSONS

AT THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW, SHE WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THIS NETWORK