A moment of peace and connection in a rescue home for women and girls

Vikas Bloom has come to the end of a three-month residency at a rescue home in India, We are ways welcomed with so much love, we work with much love, and that’s why Vikas Bloom continues to grow!

The end of each project is never easy, and with each passing year, it becomes harder to leave. This marks the 9th year of such journeys, and the strong bonds and connections we’ve formed make it all an incredible experience, offering lessons that will stay with us for a lifetime.

To celebrate our time together, on our final night, we gathered all the women for a mehndi ceremony. Traditionally used at weddings, the henna ceremony represents blessings, beauty, love, joy, and the hope for a prosperous, happy life.

The idea was to find an activity where we could all be together in harmony. This is a big challenge for this group, as they come from different backgrounds: abandonment, survivors of sexual assault, those with mental health conditions & with hearing and speech impairments - girls who are rejected by their families after divorce, and single mothers with children who have been abandoned by their husbands and families.

The institution has limited capacity to support them, and they are all placed together despite coming from different traumatic experiences. This makes it difficult for them to understand each other, especially with no psychological or counseling support. As a result, fights and arguments often occur among them.

During our residency, we observed these dynamics and explored ways to offer support. We recognize that, due to the lack of opportunities, there will never be significant improvement for these women. Please support us in bringing opportunities to help them regain their lives, uplift their well-being, and free themselves.