Olivier Soret, President and Founder of Humanium, attests to the transformation of women in Sankarapuram:
“The women of Sankarapuram have been transformed. I still remember our first encounters in 2008; they hung their heads, often just an empty stare drowned in sadness. It was hard for them, very hard. Imagine these mothers who are unable to meet the needs of their children, who are discriminated against, who can neither read nor write, whose health is, at times, a serious cause for concern— and there is nothing they can do about it.
From childhood, they are sometimes isolated in their own families, married off to men they know nothing about. A number of them experience violence, often domestic violence. They are beaten, mistreated, and sometimes abused. Before Humanium and its local partners intervened, these women had no way out, no real means of action. The thought of improving their lives seemed little more than a pipe dream.
Today, in 2011, I’ve encountered a new world with strong and liberated women, who take charge of their own lives and refuse to allow others to dictate how they must live. They are protagonists of their own lives and know what they want. Before, they were so hesitant. Now, they have such a clear vision of what they want, and above all, what is unacceptable. Today, it’s apparent that they have dignity, at last.”
