A new beginning in the red-light district 

As a starting point in our efforts for women in the red-light district, Bowbazar, we opened a Community Center in 2023 – centrally located in the area. Here, we are in the process of assessing the extent of the needs in the area. Our social team, nurses, and doctors also regularly visit the area, to gain insights into how we can address these challenges.

Our Community Center is primarily a safe space for female sex workers in the area. Here, we offer a sanctuary, healthcare services, and, most importantly, counseling. In our Community Center, we can also inform women about the help our aid organization can provide. At the same time, we can also inform them about the support, we can offer their children. Our Community Center is just a preliminary stage of a more comprehensive project in the area. In the future, we plan to open a Women's Center in the same area – with space for more women.

The center is intended to function as a safe haven for female sex workers in the area. A place where female sex workers can feel safe, and where they can receive help, support and guidance. Whether it is to overcome addiction or to process the violence they have experienced, the center should be a sanctuary for women to seek help. Additionally, we will protect children in the area by establishing a night shelter where they can sleep safely, have dinner, participate in activities, and receive care and love while their mothers are at work. Furthermore, we will offer children the opportunity to enroll in our Sealdah School & Activity Center, providing education, meals, ongoing health supervision, and strong connections with adults.

Last but not least, the center should provide women with the opportunity to acquire new skills and enhance their employment prospects. This could include, for example, a sewing workshop where women can learn to sew and embroider.