Hyderabad: Providing a shoulder to the needy

Hyderabad: Meet, Mandadi Shravya Reddy Deshmukh, 30, who started an NGO named 'We and She', with an aim to provide a platform for the divorced women in 2017.

The NGO is located in Ramanthapur, Malkajgiri. The NGO provides counselling to these women who get into depression or any stress due to these broken marriages. She sold her gold bangles to set up this organization. Along with her studies, she helps her friends and other people in any kind of work and gets paid in return which she uses for the betterment of the NGO.

Speaking to The Hans India, Shravya, who is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Law from Mahatma Gandhi Law College, "During the time when was writing my civils exam, two of my batch mates committed suicide as they couldn't clear the exam. This shook me up and later I started working with many NGOs. "

While most remain unconcerned by regular reports of young women facing the brunt of forced marriages in India, Shravya was haunted by one question, "What happens to the village women in broken marriages?" To find the answer, she embarked on her life-changing journey through the obscure villages of Telangana and discovered that the rural women were plagued by endless other issues as well.

Later, Shravya emerged as a dependable face for young girls and women across villages as she interacted with most of the women who were victims of a broken marriage. The women shared their pain and pleaded her for help. She noticed that unlike urban women, it is hugely challenging for rural women to get a foothold in the society after a broken marriage.

Shravya adds further, "I met this young girl who discovered that her husband is impotent within a few days of her marriage. Yet she was forced by her family to stay in that marriage and make peace with her destiny. This was when I thought that if there can be rehabilitation centres for widows, why don't I start a similar initiative for women in broken marriages?"

Motivated by her efforts, several women in dysfunctional marriages are willing to relocate to Hyderabad to start a new life. "These women are further given training in their areas of interest so that they do not have to be dependent on anyone and can earn for their own living."

Shravya also conducted a state wide awareness campaign for women 'We For Her' where she visited 31 districts of the state in 31 days to have a talk with the women from rural areas.

During the current pandemic scare, the NGO has received around seven calls of domestic violence or torture by their in-laws or spouse. Speaking about the same, Shravya said, "The women are being treated as a homemaker since several centuries. During this period, the men would definitely understand how difficult it is for the women to stay in the houses doing the household works."