I do not want sympathy because I am a daughter of a sex-worker and Bar dancer. When I share my story, I feel empowered. Don’t judge and discriminate people based on their backgrounds. They are more than their past.

Sheetal Jain, a Krantikari

Sheetal Jain calls herself Krantikari shares her journey from Kamathipura (Red Light Area, Mumbai) to her achievement of getting a scholarship in the US. She has been a TEDx speaker.

Sheetal Jain

Sheetal’s Childhood

Sheetal’s Nani belongs to Karnataka. In her teenage, she had fallen in love with a man and eloped with him. She gave birth to Sheetal’s mother. But, her husband sold her in Kamathipura, Mumbai. However, she managed to escape and came back to her village with her daughter. But, villagers did not let her stay and asked her to leave the village.

Villagers accused my nani and said “tune love marriage bhi ki. Ek baccha bhi hai. Hum tujhe yaha nahi rahne denge.” My Nani had no choice and she came back to Kamathipura and started working as a sex worker. She became a drug addict.

Sheetal’s Mother

Sheetal’s mother never got an education. Her mother also had fallen in love at the age of 12 and got married when she was only thirteen years old. Sheetal was born when her mother was only 14. Then her father married another woman which traumatized her and her mother also became a drug addict.

Sheetal began to hate her mother and her identity of being the daughter of a sex worker and a bar dancer. When her mother was a bar dancer, she fell in love with a man, and her brother was born with her unwed husband.

She was sexually abused by her step-father when she was only four years old. She didn’t understand that touch and it continued for many years. She never told it to her mother and to anyone.

I started hating my mother. I believed that she is responsible for everything that happened to me. We used to quarrel a lot that one day, my mother threw me out and asked me to leave her house. I was only 12 years old.

Sheetal with her mother

Sheetal had no place to go. She recalled that how her mother’s friend always used to ready for her help and her education. Thus, she went to her home. Unfortunately, she was treated as a domestic helper. She was beaten and sometimes was not given a meal in a day.

Her stepfather took her out from that place and sent her to an NGO where she was not allowed to reveal her identity as the daughter of a sex worker. Later, she came in contact with KRANTI, which is an NGO (helps the daughters of sex workers). Kranti changed Sheetal’s life and has brought immense changes in her life.

First time in Kranti, I was asked about my dream. before that, I never thought that I deserve to have dreams. They asked “tumhara sapna kya hai”. I spoke immediately “Mujhe drum bajana hai.” I don’t know why did I say this.

Kranti helped Sheetal in getting an education. She was given therapies to heal herself. She learned that neither she nor her mother was responsible for her brutal past.

Through Kranti, she traveled to various countries. She got a scholarship in the US. In one of the NGOs of Pune, she did a diploma in Drum Circle Facilitation. Currently, she is a Drum Circle Facilitator, and working with various NGOs and spreading awareness about how people could heal themselves and the power of self-acceptance.

Sheetal is teaching to other women (how to play a drum)

The life of Sheetal has changed. Now, she has become an inspiration for those girls who are living in Red Light Areas and believe that they could not achieve anything. Her story questions the society that consider that a daughter of a sex worker will always be the same as her mother.

The one thing from the beginning I knew that I will never do what my mom does. I knew that there is something else for me. But what it was, I got. I am Happy, Satisfied, and have so many dreams to accomplish.

The team of If They Can You Can appreciate the courage of Sheetal who fought for herself. We admire NGOs like Kranti which is changing thousands of lives of such girls whom people considered not even worthy to talk.

The team of If They Can You Can salute you for your bravery and courage.Like this story? Or have something to share? Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram