Divya Prabha: THE RAY OF HOPE SHELTER FOR GIRLS

Divya Prabha – a Ray of Hope for girls abandoned on the streets – first saw the light of day on June 12, 1999 in a small room at Vartak Nagar, Pokhran, Thane, with six little girls. Pulling these children out of a vagrant life, without boundaries, and helping them adjust to a real home was indeed a challenging task. It was difficult to heal the wounds of a traumatized and deprived existence; we needed to establish trust, understanding, sharing and friendly interaction where earlier the ‘rule of survival’ prevailed. Time and patience have resulted in a model of social outreach which continues to expand. Today, the girls are placed in three houses, Thane, Vasai and Agra. The younger girls reside at Thane and the teenagers live at Vasai in two homes, divided between the school-goers and the older girls. The ‘seed group’ now helps in the bonding of newcomers, and the ripples of grace are spreading ever wider, ever outwards. The senior-most girls are now gainfully employed and find fulfillment in the work that they do in far ranging areas from beauticians to lawyers and teachers. At Divya Prabha, our girls are given a sound environment, educated and helped to develop to their fullest so that they can take their rightful place in the world.