Like many women and girls from her hometown in Bihar, Roshan lived in poverty with a high risk of being trafficked.
But Roshan rewrote the narrative of her life by joining the very first cohort of our Workforce Development Program, a two-year foundation training consisting of life and technical skills training, group counseling, job placement, legal support, and career guidance.
When Roshan started her training back in 2012, she was a shy woman with very little confidence. By the time Roshan graduated from our program, she had transformed into a bold leader of change in her community. Today Roshan is an economically empowered working woman, a Nomi Network Master trainer, a proud landowner, and a mother to her son Rehan and her daughter, Nomi, who she adopted after a former Nomi Network trainee was re-trafficked.
In honor of Mother’s Day, we interviewed Roshan to learn what motherhood and intergenerational economic empowerment mean to her!
What does motherhood mean to you?
Motherhood means the world to me; it has made me a better person and gave life more purpose. Motherhood is truly a remarkable gift and a privilege that I hold very close to my heart. For me, being a mother means to be fearless––to be a positive role model for my children.
What are the most helpful lessons you’ve learned from your time as a Nomi Network Workforce Development Trainee and a Master Trainer?
I’ve learned that good things don’t come easy. Over the years, there were several challenges we faced, but we never gave up. Despite being a fearless leader, I also learned the power of financial stability, which comes from collective savings. Those small savings we began collecting in the first days have helped me take care of my family during the pandemic. I feel very proud to say after joining Nomi Network, the income I earned and saved has helped me buy my own land.
In the past, you have shared that our co-founder, Supei, inspires you. How does her example influence the way you lead at your work and in your community?
The most important lesson I learned from her was the power of unconditional love and discipline. Supei inspired me to use my knowledge to motivate, inform, and inspire women in my community to join the Nomi Network program and become a leader of change like I have.
What inspired you to adopt the daughter of one of our trainees who had been re-trafficked years ago?
The trainee who had been re-trafficked was my neighbor. I used to take care of her baby girl, and she started to hold a special place in my heart. After her mother left, I found her baby naked, crying on a cold winter morning.
When I saw her, I remembered the lesson I learned from Supei in training––to show unconditional love for everyone. At that moment, I decided that I must adopt this child. Just because I was not married didn’t mean I could not care for a baby. Today I am one of the happiest mothers on Earth!
How do those skills prepare you to empower your daughter and the Nomi Network trainees that you mentor?
I use all I learned from Nomi Network’s program to inspire my daughter and my mentees to become empowered agents of change in their communities.
Do you want to join our mission of intergenerational economic empowerment for women at risk of human trafficking?
Roshan’s story represents so much of what Nomi Network stands for: the power of generosity, resilient hope, and the beauty that can arise out of challenging circumstances.
This Mother’s Day, give freedom to women like Roshan! Your gift will help thousands of women and girls receive Workforce Development training and financial literacy skills needed to create a better future and an empowered community!
