For the homeless women, the daytime — with its usual hustle bustle — provides a safety shield. It’s the silence of the night with its dark and deserted street, where and when danger lurks. Iswar Sankalpa, a Kolkata-based NGO, has spared a thought for such women and the efforts have paved the way for Sharbari, Kolkata’s first night shelter for the distressed women.
The initiative has received support from Kolkata Municipal Corporation which has provided the required space for the project. “Iswar Sankalpa has been working on the streets of Kolkata for the cause of the homeless and mentally unstable people for the last three years. The organisation has taken up the cause of distressed women and there are many heart-rending experiences of the plight of women rendered homeless for various reasons. The need for a roof at night for women to protect themselves from the vagaries of nature as well as the violations and abuse cannot be over-emphasised,” says Sarbani Das Roy, secretary, Iswar Sankalpa.
Recalling an incident that ended on a sad note, she shares, “A tribal homeless and mentally unwell woman was identified by our organisation around June 2008 near north Kolkata. She was initially unclean and unkempt and wary of strangers. She used to carry a wooden stick with her to deal with any kind of hazards. After three months of negotiation, she started accepting food and clothes from a community caregiver through Iswar Sankalpa. The primary challenge was dealing with her ethnic dialect.”
“Slowly, she responded to medication and her status for self care improved. She also engaged herself in the shop of the community caregiver and was leading a life with dignity. But the most heartbreaking experience was when the organisation received the news of her death one morning. The adivasi woman died after a gangrape on the previous night, as informed by her caregiver. We realised that care and treatment made a woman in the street more vulnerable and thus the need for ‘night shelter’ surfaced,” says Roy.
“Although this shelter will be for homeless women and their children, we have reserved half of the seats for homeless, mentally-ill women as well. We will be depending on donations to sustain the place,” she says.
This night shelter remains open from 8 pm to 9 am and a contribution of Rs 10 is taken for the use of the facilities of the shelter from those who can afford to pay. For others, it comes free of cost. There will be no facilities for extending stay during the daytime at present. Referrals from respective police stations will be given priority as well as those of NGOs working with the homeless people. There is a plan to start a daytime vocational training programme and production unit for women will start functioning soon. At present, a shelter for at least 100 women every night in Kolkata has become a reality.