Partners

Violence against women and youth, discrimination against weaker/minority groups and, discrimination/repression against those working on the rights of the marginalised communities are among the social evils. The kind of situations these have created in society ranges from domestic, social, religious and mental harassment, which have caused depression, fear, and frustration among communities and social workers. In such situations, working for social harmony and upliftment by living in society is getting more complicated. Abhilasha Trust was registered as a Trust in 2011. Dr Anoop Shramik has supported victims/survivors of violence and their families, assisted activists with bail, and worked voluntarily across different social and political movements, such as Jan Vikas and Lok Chetna Samiti. Given that these groups face mental distress due to multiple marginalisations, mental health interventions form a major part of Abhilasha Trust’s work.

Project with MHI: 

MHI is supporting Abhilasha Trust’s work with survivors of violence (based on gender, caste, and religion). In these instances, the families and community are also affected. Abhilasha Trust believes that violence inflicted upon minorities, SC/ST communities, women and human rights activists are stressors and have worked at different levels (legal aid, emotional support to individuals and families, financial assistance, etc.) to provide support. While focusing on the Varanasi district in Uttar Pradesh, Abhilasha Trust also aims to intervene in nearby districts based on need. Workshops and trainings will be organised for staff, community members and other rights-based organisations in the district to develop a perspective on mental health. Support groups of community workers/activists will be organised, to come together, share and learn. Abhilasha Trust aims to organise public hearings involving civil society and government stakeholders to establish and demand accountability for the survivors. Cultural programs and events will be organised for different communities to come together as platforms to talk about various issues.