Activists help rape victim rejoin school in Bengaluru

 

The victim is from a family of migrants from Sikkim who came to Bengaluru looking for a livelihood. But life took an ugly turn when the girl was raped by her father’s co-worker in July 2013. The family moved out of the area immediately after the incident to avoid the social stigma. With it, the victim and her sister had to be admitted to a different school, but their father did not have enough money to pay for their fees. 

 

That is when, two volunteers from the Enfold Trust, Ms Suja Sukumaran and Ms Kushi Kushalappa, who had been working with the victim since the rape in July 24, 2013 to get the victim justice, compensation and counseling help, decided to pitch in. They posted the plight of the rape survivor and her sister on Facebook, and the help has been pouring in.

 

Ms Sukumaran told Deccan Chronicle that the school reduced the fees and other charges, but still the amount that had to be paid for the two sisters was Rs 45,000. 

 

“We were looking for sponsors to help the two children. After we posted it on Facebook, a couple of donors and a trust has assured us of support,” she said.

 

Enfold was launched by well-known gynaecologists Dr Shaibya Saldanha and Dr Sangeeta Saxena. “We are working with CWC, police and other agencies over rehabilitation and counseling of sexual assault survivors. This nine-year-old survivor is very intelligent and good in all activities,” she said.