The lotus flower is a symbol of great resilience in spite of adversity, of the ability to let go and become detached from trouble, and of purity and beauty. It is a symbol of rebirth.
Lotus Fund – A New Beginning!
In India, there is a crisis in the victim support system. Essentially, there is no guaranteed support for survivors of domestic violence, even if they come forward with the courage to file a case. So-called Safe Homes are rare, and often perpetuate abuse against survivors. There is no system for reliable support for women and children in crisis. For some of our most critical cases, this means that the choice is often between staying with an abuser to ensure they can provide for their children, or taking the risk to escape abuse knowing that they may not be able to make ends meet.
The Lotus Fund is an internal fund aimed to provide crisis and start-up support to women like Sarojini who are faced with zero alternatives.
Sarojini’s journey has had a special impact on our work, and we wanted to honor her through the name of the fund that would be dedicated to helping more women like her. Her name happens to mean “lotus flower”.
The lotus flower is a symbol of great resilience in spite of adversity, of the ability to let go and become detached from trouble, and of purity and beauty. It is a symbol of rebirth.
The Lotus Fund will be a niche focus of our fundraising, providing donors with the opportunity to connect their donations with the lives of families in desperate need of a little extra support to get started. The Lotus Fund will strictly fund emergency needs within the first year of recovering from abuse including:
Tuition fees for children of survivors
Essential school-related costs (like textbooks and uniforms) for children of survivors
Short term, emergency needs like food or emergency medical attention for survivors and their children
First-month rent for independent accommodation for survivor
Basic kitchen utensils for a survivor who is moving from a safe home to her own home
Partial support for vocation initiation, like a sewing machine or set of work clothes
Our mission is to provide every woman facing abuse with choices to end it. The Lotus Fund will help us offer critical, holistic support to many clients who feel they have no way out of abuse because of the limited options for support.
Operation PeaceMaker
This post was authored by the Operation PeaceMaker communications team. Our mission is to keep you informed, and full of hope.