Vinya, aged 15, arrived with us at New Horizons House in March, 2023 having been exploited by her own aunt and cousin. Vinya’s aunt neglected to care for her own daughter Tiya by enabling her drug addiction and selling her as a sex worker. Under the guise of going grocery shopping, Tiya then brought her cousin Vinya to the place where she worked and took drugs. The other women there welcomed Vinya with warmth and affection. Despite being fearful and scared initially, Vinya was taken in by their kind words and offer of ice-cream. Before she knew what was happening, she was drugged and fell unconscious. Vulnerable and exposed, she was sexually abused by multiple men, repeatedly.
Vimya was trapped there for two days and threatened that if she told her father they would release the nude photos and videos online that they had taken while she was unconscious. Her parents noticed her absence however and filed a missing persons case at the local police station. Thankfully the police managed to find and rescue Vinya. She then came to stay with us at New Horizons Houses to participate in our aftercare program in order to receive the care she needed to recover from the traumatic events she had endured. Now, over a year later, Vinya is doing very well in her recovery. She is currently enrolled in sewing and saree work and did her 10th grade exams earlier this year. Her dream for her future is to become a police officer and we at New Horizons House will do everything we can to support her in this.