Mina Thakur

During our work in Nagpur’s slums helping women with Leprosy, we soon became aware of other women suffering from a variety of other problems, such as mental illness, rape, abuse and HIV/AIDS. Mina was once such woman, who was to have a profound effect on us and fundamentally became the inspiration for Women In Need.

Mina Thakur was the 35-year-old daughter of one of our Leprosy patients. She was born and brought up on the streets with her brother by her deaf-mute mother. Developing into a beautiful woman, Mina soon became the victim of continuous gang rapes; men forced her to drink alcohol turning her into an alcoholic, whilst the horrific ordeal of rape led to mental illness. Resulting pregnancies led to babies dying through the neglect of a schizophrenic mother, who was so traumatised, she had completely lost touch with reality.

In November 2004, we were directed by locals to help a woman in trouble. We found Mina curled up on the roadside, under a blanket covered with flies. Pulling it back, we discovered the girl had matted hair teeming with maggots. Agitated and in extreme pain, she asked to be left alone, but it was clear urgent medical treatment was needed.

Despite our confidence that something could be done to alleviate her suffering, all our contacts refused involvement. Mental illness, the likelihood of HIV; all these factors conspired against Mina receiving any help and instead we were advised she be returned to the streets to die.

The lack of support and facilities only made us more determined to fight for Mina’s life but the task was difficult. An aggressive schizophrenic in extreme pain made removing the maggots near impossible. To prevent them entering her brain we had no alternative but to physically restrain Mina as we cut them out one by one and the uproar drew crowds, which didn’t help matters.

Over the next few months, we changed the dressings on Mina’s head wound everyday, as well as starting her on a course of medication to control her schizophrenia and giving her good nutrition. With the cooperation of the local police, a small shelter was built for her next to the station, where she could be protected from further rape and abuse. Mina’s alcoholism was difficult to control; we had to persuade local wine sellers to refuse her service and further visits at night ensured us she was safe and sober.

Mina’s condition improved; her head wound began to heal and her mental health improved. Suddenly a beautiful, articulate woman started to blossom against all the odds, finding simple joy in living again. However, there was one issue we had to address, to determine if she was infected with the HIV virus. Sadly, Mina tested positive which meant providing her with antiretroviral drugs to stabilise the virus and hopefully sustain her quality of life; they have the potential to extend her life for a further 15 years.

So, in ignoring all the advice given by the medical profession, Mina is now a happy young woman with a good quality of life. She and her mother live together in their own home and her daughter has taken over the care for Mrs Thakur from WIN. The family has also been reunited with Mina’s long lost brother. And for us, the final happy ending to this story, was is discovering that one of Mina’s babies had survived and was adopted by a man who was unable to have children of his own. Mina was eventually reunited with her 18-year-old, newly married daughter Sonali.

Many women exist like this, anonymous, alone and devoid of hope. In the past Usha and I have been asked why we help those considered no use to society. In response, we can only say this: Women In Need is proud to help those considered useless. Women who have been allowed to fall to the very bottom of the heap, who have been grossly neglected by society and who struggle to exist every single day.

Thus Women In Need was created.