With pride shining in her eyes and a quiet smile playing on her lips, Rashmi accepts a ₹20 note from a customer—payment for a hand-poured candle she crafted with love. It’s a small amount by many standards, but for Rashmi, it holds the weight of freedom. Of dignity. Of a second chance.
Just eight months ago, Rashmi’s reality was a far cry from today. For nearly a decade, she walked what she calls the “path of shame”. She was a sex worker.
"My father died when I was six. He was an alcoholic, and when he passed, my mother had no clue how she would feed me and my younger brothers," Rashmi recalls. "We lived in a town where women had no work opportunities. With no other way to survive, my mother turned to prostitution. I grew up watching her, and before I even understood what was happening, I was pushed into the same life. But every day, I felt society looking down on me. I just wanted a way out.”
That lifeline came in the form of a local NGO—AIDS Prevention Society (APS)—that introduced Rashmi to a new path, one paved with self-worth, financial independence, and hope. Today, Rashmi is an entrepreneur, selling handmade candles and pottery at local markets.
But Rashmi is not alone.
She is one among hundreds of women in Betkuchi, a small town in eastern India long known as a red-light district. For years, prostitution was the primary livelihood here. The name Betkuchi evoked whispers, shame, and stigma. But thanks to APS and its transformative initiative, Project Sakhi, that narrative is changing—dramatically.
The Dawn of a New Beginning
Under Project Sakhi—‘Sakhi’ meaning ‘friend’ in Hindi—more than half the sex workers in Betkuchi have left the trade in the past two years. The project empowers them through self-help groups, training, and community support. These women are now engaged in income-generating activities like candle-making, pottery, file cover production, and detergent manufacturing.
Dr. Asif Ahmed, Director of APS and head of Project Sakhi, explains the intent behind the program:“Most of these women were never in this profession by choice. Their lives were shaped by poverty, trauma, and lack of alternatives. They had little self-esteem, and for many, the idea of a different life was unimaginable. We knew we had to build more than just skills—we had to rebuild confidence and community.”The first step? Health. APS began by educating sex workers about personal hygiene and the importance of early health intervention, especially in the context of HIV prevention. Gradually, the women began visiting health centres for counseling and care.
Then came the next phase—empowerment.
The NGO trained these women in vocational skills and helped form three self-help groups of 50 members each. Once their handmade products were ready, the women ventured into the markets—not as victims, but as businesswomen.
“Now I Work with Pride”
Munni (name changed), once a sex worker, now smiles as she counts her earnings:“I used to make ₹800 to ₹1,000 a day in prostitution. Today, I earn ₹1,200 a day selling candles and detergent. But the real difference? Now, I sleep peacefully. I feel proud of what I do.”Priyanka (name changed) chimes in:“I’ve found more than income here. I’ve found respect—for myself and from others. We are no longer just sex workers. We are creators. Entrepreneurs. Changemakers.”The pride in their voices is unmistakable. And infectious.
A Ripple Effect of Change
Project Sakhi's journey wasn’t without resistance. Convincing women to step out of the shadows took time, patience, and empathy. Many feared social rejection. Others doubted their abilities. But with consistent counseling, health support, and peer-to-peer education, they slowly began to believe in something they had never known: a life beyond survival—a life of purpose.
“Once they understood their own worth and began to see possibilities outside the trade,” Dr. Ahmed shares, “they themselves became ambassadors of change. The transformation was not just economic; it was emotional, psychological, and spiritual.”
Today, Betkuchi stands not just as a town that survived its past, but as one that rewrote it.
Lighting the Way for Others
With higher incomes, stronger health outcomes, and a renewed sense of purpose, the women of Betkuchi are now lighting the way for other small towns trapped in cycles of poverty and exploitation.
Rashmi, Munni, Priyanka—and so many others—are living proof that when opportunity meets compassion, change is inevitable. Their journey is a reminder that no past is too dark to keep out the light.
And it all begins with one small candle.
