Writing stories of hope

Most of the EYD collections are created in Mumbai, India, where our first charitable partner workshop CHAIIM humanitarian Clothing is located.

Here, women are employed who have been freed from human trafficking and sex trafficking and now have the chance to lead a new, self-determined life. CHAIIM's rehabilitation program offers not only work as a seamstress in a protected and loving environment, but also schooling, basic life skills, health care and accommodation - simply everything the traumatized women need to have a real fresh start.

For a young woman who has known nothing but exploitation and violence, the path to a self-determined life usually seems impossible. Together with our production partners and YOU, we are taking on this humanitarian task.

With every piece of EYD clothing, you are helping to rehabilitate women and carry on their hope!

One story of hope among many

One of the women in our partner workshop is called Ria. At the age of 16, she was forcibly married to a man her father had chosen for her. But she did not feel comfortable in this marriage and decided to break out. She found refuge with a friend and wanted to plan her next steps from there.

The friend said she knew a woman who could help her and brought Ria to her.

However, the help offered turned out to be a pretext to sell Ria to a pimp who kept her captive in a brothel in South Mumbai from then on. Every day she was brutally raped and beaten there several times so that she would not rebel against the "customers" who were allowed to come to her. She was also given various drugs and resorted to alcohol in addition to endure the physical and mental pain.

Ria was passed from brothel to brothel. After two years and countless abuses, state forces freed her from a house in a remote suburb of Mumbai. From there, she was taken to a facility for rescued women where she could stay for the next six months. She was then placed at the Chaiim Foundation.

When Ria arrived, the staff experienced her as very rude, undisciplined and dismissive. She did not participate much and did not let them talk to her. Nevertheless, she was allowed to stay, was treated with love and understanding and, like all of them, received therapy and vocational training, a monthly salary and mentoring.

Inside, Ria was deeply hurt and had great problems trusting other people. But the caregivers encouraged her to believe in the goodness of the world and that she could find real love. Over time, she became more approachable and began to develop a new sense of self-worth. Knowing that she had a big family in her life, Chaiim, who stood by her, made a big difference to her.

When Ria began to show interest in a man and he soon expressed a desire to marry, she was encouraged by her therapist to tell him about her past. If he would still accept her afterwards, she could take the next steps in the relationship. This meant breaking a big taboo, but Ria followed the advice - and she did not regret it. After graduating from the program, she got married and soon became the proud mother of a little girl.