Helping human trafficking victims battle mental health

Mumbai Smiles Foundation recently conducted a psychological workshop aimed at reaching out to victims of human rights violations at Kamathipura.

10th April

Mumbai Smiles Foundation on March 13, 2019, conducted a Psychological Workshop on Women’s Health at Oasis Centre in Mumbai’s Kamathipura district. The event that was conducted by Mumbai Smiles Foundation’s Health Department, was aimed at providing a platform in understanding the psycho-social problems faced by victims of human trafficking who had ended up in Mumbai’s largest red-light district. Mumbai Smiles Foundation also conducted a Group Discussion session with the women at this workshop.

The psychosocial workshop was conducted by Dr,Neeta More and Minal Parab from Cancer Patients Aid Association. The workshop was aimed at reaching out to women to understand how they react to a situation and based on this, draw conclusions on their mental and physical well-being. Both victims and instructors interacted, and each got to learn something from the other. While the women learnt about mental health problems, and the importance of personal hygiene that would reduce the spread of disease, the instructors learnt about the hardships that the women faced.

Previously, Mumbai Smiles Foundation had conducted an addiction workshop at Kamathipura, where both women and children participated. At this workshop, members of Mumbai Smiles Foundation understood the stress involved that led people to substance addiction and abuse.

Human trafficking victims – in particular women – undergo great mental and physical trauma that impacts their everyday life. As a result, their health is compromised, as they fail to take care of themselves.  Fortunately, the learnings from the workshop were positive, and Mumbai Smiles Foundation looks to conduct more such programmes that will help rehabilitated women.