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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 *** 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 *** positive
now i know the actual problems of ***
i used to think *** is fatal and people can never live with ***
after working at ICTC, now i know *** is only a virus
if only *** enters in human body, he dont die
but if *** 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 ***
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 *** 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 ***
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 *** 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 *** positive, and we teach them how to use *** so that they dont get affected
we even teach our own children to use ***
we always force others to use condoms
here we show them how to use *** by using ***
we tell them that if a *** bursts, then *** virus may enter in the human body
you dont know who has *** 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 ***, we always advise the customers to use ***
we explain them the other ways of getting affected by ***
always use new injection syringes
if we take blood in hospital, it has to be checked for ***
if a pregnant woman is *** affected
we take her to PPCT and give medicines so that the child does not born with ***
we always provide counselling and mental support to them
SHE IS DIAGNOSED WITH *** 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 *** AFFECTED PERSONS
AT THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW, SHE WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THIS NETWORK
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