Moving Towards A Fearless Future, Soni From Nithari Village Takes Charge Of Her Life

Nithari, Uttar Pradesh: Nearly a decade ago, Nithari, a village in Uttar Pradesh's Noida, witnessed one of the most gruesome serial murders where over 19 young children and women were killed. Today, the residents of the small village continue to live in the shadow of the past. Spending their lives within the confinements of their homes are the women and children who have given up the hope of living a normal life. Devoid of the joys of free existence, a constant fear persists, to the extent that those women who work as domestic help or other jobs outside their homes, worry for their children who they leave back home.

So, in a place where many went missing from their own neighbourhood, how does one restore their confidence and make them feel secure again?

Soni, who lost her 10-year old sister in the infamous serial murder case of Nithari in 2006, felt helpless for many years post the incident. Her sister just vanished never to return, even her body was not found. Hours of protesting led to a dead-end and ultimately, the police also declared her sister as 'lost'. The void left Soni feeling unsure of how to move on or what to do next. Soni recalls painfully,

The Nithari case had taken away all the happiness of my life. My younger sister was lost at the time of this case and my family was in deep depression after this. We used to sit on roads for hours to protest but it was of no use.

In search of solace, Soni started going to the 'Mera Sahara' Centre, an initiative started by Joint Women Programme (JWP). Set up in 2007, the Mera Sahara centre's main focus was towards educating and empowering the women and children of the Nithari village.

This Centre opened after the Nithari case, and the madam there used to take care of the young children . I used to visit the centre sometimes to feel better.

Soni kept herself busy by taking care of the children at the centre. In its efforts to rehabilitate the scarred residents of the village, the JWP, introduced the Usha Silai School in Nithari and its nearby places. Explains, Jyotsna Chatterjee of JWP,

The basic intention of this project was to get connected with every Mahila Sanghatan and other welfare groups, who believes that women's betterment can bring societal progress.

Soni saw hope and grabbed the opportunity to learn a new skill. She started learning 'Dari' (carpet) making and realised that she could make a living out of this. Since then, Soni has regularly contributed towards her family's financial needs. Together with her husband, they now earn enough to lead a comfortable life.

It makes me feel content that I am able to earn and do something for my family.

Soni now teaches 'Dari' making and earns a steady income.

I hope to continue teaching and wish that more and more women will also join Usha Silai School.

She believes that Usha Silai School has not only helped her earn a livelihood but it also helped her find peace that she had yearned for years.

It's been ten years now, and this Centre has supported me a lot. I am grateful to the Usha Centre, because I don't know what would have become of me had it not been there.

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