This is Taslima’s story, told through the eyes of the Aruna Project Founder, Ryan Berg. Each quarter, in the same office, I gather the newest artisans and share about the heart of Aruna and our future direction. I share that the company is made for them and by them. It is made for them as…
Nazma’s Story
When she first came into the room, Nazma’s hair was oily and matted, her skin was fraught with marks from others and her eyes were tired. It was her first day of employment with the Aruna Project. For her, it was not a day of celebration. It was a day of evaluation. What dangers…
Noorjahan’s Story
After having wed at a young age and, soon after, giving birth to a daughter, Noorjahan’s husband became increasingly irritated with her. The irritation grew into anger – the anger into something more sinister. She soon found herself in a brothel. Her daughter was sent back to her village. Her husband had rid himself…
Shenaz’s Story
To sit at a table with all the food one could desire, then to sit for days without a morsel, heightens the sense of loss and deepens the sense of longing. For those who come from a childhood marked by relative safety, care and provision, a plunge into the violence and abuse of commercial…
Monica’s Story
“My life means nothing.” On the third floor of a brothel in a small, cramped room with four beds separated by pull curtains, Soni voiced her despair. I had asked Soni, Sapana, Meena and Anjali about their future. Each had been sold into the brothel and longed to be free from it and the…
Saphura’s Story
Saphura has four children. She hardly seems old enough to be the mother of one. When we set out to establish the Aruna Project and the freedom business that would follow, we asked Saphura if she would like to help us make a video that would envision freedom for enslaved women like her. It…
Fairoz’s Story
Fairoz was born in a brothel, which ensured she would have little choice concerning the direction of her life. Her mother’s abuse was foresight into her own future – a future that, no matter how much she sought to avoid it, would inevitably come to pass. That is the definition of despair. “At my…
