As 2019 draws to an end, I find myself reflecting on a year of hard work, learning and the things that I am grateful for. At the beginning of this year, I started leading CSJ and since then, my team and the children we work with have become an indelible part of my life. Today, I wanted to share with you, why CSJ’s mission and work is particularly meaningful to me and why I am so grateful to be leading this organisation.
I am many things. I am a professional, a movie buff, a traveller, a daughter, a friend. I am also a child sexual abuse survivor. At age 10, I was abused by an elder man known to my family. It took me two decades to understand and trust that this experience does not define who I am, even though it played an important role bringing me to where I am today.
As a survivor, I am grateful that CSJ is on the front lines, leading honest conversations and providing dedicated, healing-oriented support that child survivors of abuse need and deserve.
The children in CSJ’s care face a justice system that often causes them more harm because it is fundamentally adversarial – focused on punishment for “bad behaviour” rather than on true safety and healing for the child.
At CSJ, we are committed to stand with children impacted by trauma and abuse. Through our child sexual abuse victim support programs and restorative justice initiatives with youth who have committed crimes, we are working to ensure that the voices of vulnerable children are truly heard and that families and communities impacted by violence have access to justice that heals and restores.
What brings me hope and gives me strength to continue this work each day, is the fact that I see these children bravely confront harrowing circumstances and refuse to give up. They refuse to lose hope, and I won’t either.
I have a lot to be thankful for. My family gave me a safe space to be heard and unrelenting support to build a thriving future. With your help, I’m committed to do the same for children who have experienced things that no child should ever experience.
As we approach the end of 2019, please consider donating to CSJ. Help us reach our year-end goal of INR 25 lakh, which will support lawyers, social workers and counsellors to continue working with children. A gift of INR 4.5 lakh provides child victims of abuse with a dedicated CSJ lawyer or social worker for an entire year. A gift of INR 1.4 lakh provides legal and psycho-social support to a child for a full year.
Join me and my remarkable CSJ colleagues in bringing healing and true justice to brave children.
Donate today.
On behalf of the entire CSJ team, thank you for standing with us. Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Nimisha