Training
Different training programmes have been held in 14 colleges. Some colleges have, in this period invited RAHI for more than one kind of training programme.
- → PEP Training: one and two day PEP (Peer Education Programmes) Trainings were conducted in 11 colleges. Participants learnt about Incest / CSA, myths and prejudices, definitions, the Indian context, profile of abusers, abuser tactics, the impact, how to handle disclosures and recovery. Colleges included Daulat Ram College, Gargi College, Ramjas College, Janki Devi Memorial College, Jesus and Mary College, Dyal Singh College, Miranda House College, Indraprastha College for Women, St. Stephens College and Kirori Mal College in Delhi University and Jindal Global Law School, Sonepat.
- → Disclosure Workshop: Training on How to Help a Friend through our Disclosure Workshops were held in 3 colleges from Delhi University namely – Lady Sri Ram College, Institute of Home Economics and Jesus and Mary College.
- → Basic Training Module: Our basic training modules which comprise one to two hour talks, workshops on the basics on Incest/CSA, and movie screenings followed by discussions, were held in 8 colleges in Delhi University - St. Stephens College, Janki Devi College, Dyal Singh College, Ramjas College, Miranda House College, Jesus and Mary College and Kirori Mal college. A talk and movie screening was also held at the Symbiosis Center for Management Studies, Noida.
- → Teacher Training: A training on Incest / CSA was held for teachers studying for their Bachelors in Elementary Education at Jesus and Mary College.
- → Summer Student Internship 2014: The impact and outreach or our college programmes resulted in many young adults asking to intern and work at RAHI. RAHI held a one month long student summer internship programme where 9 interns (7 girls, 2 boys) were given an intensive training on the issue and then conducted outreach activities throughout the month. The interns comprised students from Delhi University, and also from Jamia Milia Islamia University, Ambedkar University and Amity University. Details of their outreach are mentioned in the sections below.
The success of the 2014 internship led to a campus magazine listing RAHI as one of the top 5 NGO’s in Delhi to intern with, following which we have received more than 90 applications for internships already.
- → Student Volunteer Programme: During this period we had 4 long-term student volunteers who were involved with various advocacy activities with the college programme. These volunteers were given an intensive on day training on the issue of Incest/ CSA
Outreach and Communication
Various outreach and communication activities and events have been organized by our trained Peer Educators (PEs).
Stalls at College Fests and Events
- → PEs from Gargi College put up a RAHI Stall at the Indian Institute of Technology’s Technical Fest where the following activities were held:
- → Creative writing competition
- → Pamphlet distribution
- → Slogan writing competition
- → PEs from Jesus and Mary College put up a stall at the Diwali Mela of their college in which the following activities were held:
- → Pamphlet distribution
- → Spot the Abuser – An activity that highlighted the fact that an abuser could be anyone around us
- → What will I do today to Stop CSA – A Post your view on the Post it activity
- → Break the Silence. Make a Noise – An activity where participants took the pledge to break the silence around CSA with the use of props.
- → The 8 student interns interning at RAHI in June 2014 put up a signature campaign stall at the Select Citywalk Mall in New Delhi for two days.
Poster drives and Poster Making Competitions
Students from Daulat Ram and Jesus and Mary College conducted a poster drive in their respective colleges from 23rd September – 1st October 2014. PEs from Indraprastha College for Women conducted their drive on 16th October 2014.
Pamphlet designing and distribution
Trained PEs from St. Stephens College designed a pamphlet on Incest/CSA which was thereafter distributed in their college premises on 12th November 2014.
Campaigning and advocacy on the streets (Walks, Marathons & Freeze Mobs)
- → RAHI interns and PEs performed over 30 freeze mobs in different locations around Delhi – Connaught Place, Select Citywalk Mall, Greater Kailash
- → A 5km long marathon was organized by PEs from Kirori Mal College on 1st April 2015
- → About 100 of RAHI’s peer educators took part in the Take Back The Night March organized by RAHI on 9th January, 2015
Online campaigns
- → Photography Competition RAHI’s PEs and their friends participated in an online photography competition organized with themes around Incest/CSA
- → I Will Not Shut Up – Placard campaign Over 120 PEs and their friends participated in an online placard campaign which reached out to almost 21,000 people in about 4 months.
Public Events
Based on RAHIs unique Model of Healing, two public event of a unique nature were organized. Not only were the events aimed at spreading awareness on the issue of Incest/CSA but were also designed as therapeutic interventions for survivors closely associated with it.
It Happened To Me (A play with monologues on Child Sexual Abuse)
During the 2014 internship, the RAHI team worked very closely with the survivors among the interns and helped them get in touch with the effect their abuse has had on their lives. A safe space was thereafter created for them to share and write the stories of their abuse. They then scripted their stories and rehearsals were held over the last week of their internship. This process tied up with RAHIs Model of Healing where survivors could not only showcase to others what they have learnt through their work with RAHI but could also get in touch with their abuse and begin the healing process.
In a powerful and intense performance, these interns made a presentation on the issue by performing monologues based on their own life stories. The event, which was about 150 people strong, was attended by their family members and their peers.
Dear Daddy – A daughter’s letter to her abuser (A play on Incest)
Dear Daddy, a play on father-daughter incest, was scripted by a RAHI team member. It is based on the true stories of young women incest survivors, former PEs of RAHI. The play was performed by RAHI’s PEs who were a part of the 2014 campaign. 4 out of 5 actors from the play were survivors of incest themselves. The RAHI team took them through their own process of healing before they were finally prepared to perform their parts in the play. The performance, which was attended by about 350 people, was a powerful one and audience feedback showed that each person who attended too something unique and rich from it.
Audience Feedback:
“It was an eye-opener. I know there is CSA, but when it is made real like this, it really hits you hard. We need to mainstream this issue and I appreciate the effort RAHI is putting in.”
Bindu Sethi, Housewife
“As a survivor myself, I must admit that it was not easy watching the play. It was almost like the protagonist was sharing my story and feelings. Though I must admit, how the play ended gave me a little hope for myself.”
A Real Estate Consultant
“The performance made me very emotional about the issue. It is great that students are coming out and talking about the issue. Sometime back, it wasn’t easy to talk about such things but because of event like these, the scenario is changing.”
Bindu, Banker
Counseling
One on one counseling sessions and 2 day healing workshops were held to address the healing needs of young women in colleges who were survivors of Incest/CSA. These formed a safety net for those survivors who needed support and therapy while they engaged in social action themselves.
2 PEs approached RAHI directly for one on one therapy and 4 signed up for a 2 day healing workshop to be held in May, 2015. Apart from these RAHI offered therapy to 9 women and 4 male clients.
Healing resources were also created at the Disclosure Workshops at Lady Sri Ram College, Institute of Home Economics and Jesus and Mary College and at a Teacher Training Workshop held at Jesus and Mary College where participants were trained to respond to first level disclosure and informational needs of victims and survivors of Incest/CSA.
Collaborations, Partnerships and Placements
As a result of the success of the impact and outreach of our college programme, there has been an increased demand for RAHI to work with students from other colleges and from organizations working in on similar issues. Details of the collectives and organizations that RAHI has partnered/collaborated with in the period of this grant are as follows:
- Teamwork Initiative and Yuva Ekta On 3 March 2015 RAHI put up a stall at the Sounds of Freedom concert (Amity University, Noida), a Yuva Ekta and Teamwork initiative. About 3500 students from Amity University engaged with us at the stall and were given a brief on the issue of Incest/CSA.
- Sangat Southasia – One Billion Rising (OBR) RAHI collaborated with the team from Sangat Southasia for the One Billion Rising Campaign 2014-15. Under the campaign our PEs also organized a Take Back The Night March in Delhi University. Another similar collaboration is finalized for our upcoming youth campaign.
- The Foundation A team member of The Foundation, an NGO in Mumbai set up by film actor Rahul Bose and working on Incest/CSA, visited RAHI to discuss possibilities of doing a similar peer education programme in Mumbai.
