Jaitpurawomenscentre

From DFoundation

Jaitpura Centre for Women

The Jaitpura Centre is government run detention centre for women from the age of eighteen to elderly women. Jaitpara is located in the north of Varanasi City and the centre holds approximately 80 women. The women here are not criminals but have been placed in a detention centre for reasons such as:

• being orphaned
• getting caught after running away from home
• being abandoned by their families as a result of culturally unacceptable circumstances such as love marriages, elopement, rape, out-of-wedlock pregnancies, or out-of-caste relationships.

In India, it is very difficult for woman who have no family or have lost the support of their family. Unless they have sufficient means to support themselves, they are are sent to permanent detention centres such as Jaitpura. They remain in detention until at least the age of 30 or until a suitable person is willing to take legal responsibility.

As part of the D-Foundation work, we work on trying to repair relations between these woman and their families. Unfortunately this is often not possible and the women are forced into a life of unbearable detention. The earliest they can leave the government care at their own free will is at the age of thirty. However teven then it proves difficult as hese women have few skills, no family and no home. While in custody we teach the women skills in clothes and bag making. This gives the women a welcome activity and is also a means to make a living. Those who do get released will now have a skill and a way to make an income in the future. We also try to arrange possible solutions which will lead to their release.

Thankfully we have also been able to improve physical conditions here although much work is still needed. We have renovated extra rooms in the building and created more bedroom space for the women. We built a footpath around the courtyard and cleaned the external area. In addition, we have been able to contact some of the girls families and repair the relationships. In differing cases we have been able to arrange marriage’s for the girls. The women are given the choice in these situations although for most their wish to leave the centre and try to lead a normal life. In all releases from this centre we monitor the women to ensure no future problems arise.

Works undertaken to date

- Employment of two clothes making teachers who work daily in the centre.

- Renovation of the external areas including the construction of a new footpath.

- Rehabilitation of family relations involving the release of the women back to her family.

- Organized awareness day with District Magistrate including blanket giveaway and medical check-ups.

- Completed construction work on kitchen, shower, and windows to improve living conditions.

- Full arrangement and necessary payment involving 15 marriages for the women at the home.

- Renovation of old rooms into new usable bedrooms.

- Introduction of a volunteer yoga instructor.

Jaitpura Centre: Before Work ------------------------------------- After completion of work

Continuous funding required	Per month
Payment of sewing teacher wages x 2	6000 Rps / €100
Additional nutrition	7000 Rps / €116
Clothing	3750 Rps / €62.5 (45000 rps per year)
Travel expenses for yoga teacher and volunteers	6000 Rps / €100
Bedsheets, towels, undergarments & school uniforms	14000 Rps / €233
Medical Care	6666 Rps / €111 (80, 000 Rps / €1333 per year)
Total	Rps 43, 416/ €723 per month
Another teacher also required once resources are available	3000 Rps / €50
Psychologist to work permanently in the home	5000 Rps / 83
Total including new staff	51, 416 Rps / €857 per month

We also require funding for improvements and enhancements to this centre as follows:

Expansion funding required	Total
New bathroom/shower area (foundations already in place)	80, 000 Rps / €1333
Library	100, 000 Rps / €1666
Marriage arrangement & costs (However 60% of this is normally kindly donated by the local community)	32,000 Rps / €533 (Above is 40% of the required 80,00 Rps / €1333 )
Total Required	212, 000 Rps / €3, 533

For people interested in sponsoring the Jaitpura Centre for Women there are several options available.

The entire project can currently be funded for €723 per month which will significantly improve the lives of eighty women. While €857 per month would allow us to hire more staff which we feel is necessary.

We can also welcome sponsors to take on one of the above needs such as the provision of nutritional food which is currently lacking there and would require €116 per month.

Finally the improvements we wish to make here vary from purchasing shelves and books to create a small library to the arrangement of marriages which will give the women the chance to live a normal life. Donations are always needed and welcome.

Please feel free to contact us to discuss further if you are interested. You can contact us via email on contact@dfoundation.net or call (0091) 99 3627 0050.

To view more Jaitpura Women's Centre Pictures

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