A voice for the abused

The Rotaract Club of Delhi Midtown Maitreyi, affiliated to the Maitreyi College, a women’s college in New Delhi, was chartered by the Rotary Club of Delhi Mid Town, RID 3011, three years ago. The Rotaractors are passionate about supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Most of their service activities are centred around empowering women and young girls.

It all started with Project Raha in August 2024, when the club members took out a Peace Walk to pay homage to a 31-year-old trainee doctor of the RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata, who was brutally raped and murdered in the seminar room of the college campus. “It was a peacefully conducted walk where around 750 students from our college and other neighbouring colleges participated. We carried placards with slogans reiterating women’s safety and advocating justice for the family of the rape victim,” says Mahi Azad, the club’s IPP, who was also its charter president.

The next phase of Project Raha included a series of self-defence workshops conducted by Nicky Dubey, an Israeli martial arts expert. Over three weeks around 250 participants learnt various protection techniques and powerful strikes, equipping themself with confidence and resilience to face real life challenges.

Other initiatives under the multi-phased, ongoing project includes ‘boundary’ education for slum children, making them aware of good and bad touches, and teaching them to identify indecent conversations and bad intentions from strangers, friends and family members. “We would visit various localities in teams and conduct awareness sessions for children and young adults. Boys were also included in these conversations,” says Mahi.

The third phase included storytelling sessions which provided a safe platform for survivors to share stories, inspire others and build collective strength. The event encouraged members to share with a four-member panel, some of the most difficult experiences they’ve faced. “The session became a space for vulnerability, courage and connection. Raha reminded us that healing begins with being heard, and that even in our most painful moments, we are never alone. The strength shown by our speakers touched every soul in the room and brought our community closer, fostering empathy, support and mutual understanding. This was more than just a session; it was a reminder of the power of shared humanity,” she says.

Gaining strength from the Raha project, the club put together Project Prabal, another three-phase initiative to address human trafficking through skill development, awareness and economic empowerment. As the first step, the Rotaractors organised a legal literacy workshop where expert lawyers shared information about legal rights, protective laws and helpline numbers with women and adolescents at the Salaam Baalak Trust. These important details were distributed in printed flyers among the participants to serve as ready reckoners. “Being armed with information is the first step towards building confidence,” she smiles.

The next step was arranging craft classes for survivors of human trafficking. Around 25 women supported by the NGO Vihaan were taught to make bracelets, fashion accessories, phone charms, wind charms and other knick-knacks. “We provided the base material and helped them market their products at events in our college and other compuses.” The revenue generated was given to them, promoting sustainable income and independence. “We are promoting their skills in our known circles so that they get continued business,” she says.

Phase 3 of Project Prabal comprised building creative skills in 30 children at an NGO in Janakpuri West. They were taught to paint and draw, or write stories, based on their interests. “Our aim was to instil self-worth and confidence in these children and we were thrilled to see their faces light up with joy as they explored their talent.”

The club has made an eight-episode video series called ‘Femora’ addressing key women-related issues such as sex trafficking, domestic violence, gender inequality and workplace discrimination. These videos have been uploaded on YouTube.

But Project Jagruti seems to be close to Mahi’s heart as was evident by the warmth and joy in her voice while talking about it. The club has 136 Rotaractors, and “all of them are part of this project.” The club has adopted a slum in the capital and focuses its welfare projects here. “We are teaching various subjects to the school-going children here for two hours every day.” Mahi visits the locality on Wednesdays to teach them English, and other members take turns to visit the locality every week and brush up the children’s lessons in whatever subjects they are good at. The response from the parents, who are mostly illiterate and are engaged in low paying blue-collar jobs, is amazing, says Mahi. “Earlier the children were sent to private tuition classes that charged them ₹400–500 monthly. So when we told the parents that we’ll coach the children without charges they were excited. And the children enjoy the classes with us. Their marks are also improving now,” smiles the Rotaractor.

Through Projects Sanjeevani and Ayushman the club conducted series of health and medical camps throughout the year in the city, benefitting around 1,000 people. Blood donation camps conducted by the club helped enhance blood reserve in centres treating children with thalassaemia disorder.

Having completed her graduation, Mahi has now moved to the Shriram College of Commerce in the city for her postgraduate course. She, along with her 47 course mates, have joined the Rotaract Club of Delhi Genesis, a community-based club newly chartered by the Rotary Club of Delhi Genesis. This new club has now kickstarted its welfare initiatives with cancer awareness programmes targeting women and young adults.

At the beginning of this new Rotary year, the club had organised special camps for women to screen for breast and ovarian cancer. “With the help of medical experts, we taught the visitors self-examination techniques to detect cancer early and educated them on the importance of prompt medical consultation to nip the disease at the bud,” she says.