Testimonials

Nari Shakti: Domestic Violence

“I am an Indian woman living in the United States, and I recently went through an extremely painful and traumatic experience of domestic violence. During that time, I felt lost, afraid, and unsure of where to turn. Being far from home and family made everything even more isolating.

In the midst of that darkness, I found SD Nari. From the very beginning, their support was nothing short of life-changing. They patiently guided me through the legal process, helped me understand my rights, and gave me the confidence to take the necessary steps to protect myself.

More than anything, their emotional support carried me through. The women at SD Nari listened to me without judgment, comforted me through my fear and anxiety, and reminded me that I was not alone. Their kindness and strength helped me begin to heal and reclaim my voice.

I will forever be grateful to SD Nari for being there when I needed it the most. They are doing incredibly important work, and I hope more women in similar situations are able to find the same support, strength, and sisterhood that I found through them.”

– KT (names changed for privacy)

“As a young child, I used to see my father drink heavily and beat my mother. I decided that I would never marry. When I went to college, a young man who lived across the street from me kept asking me to marry him. I was reluctant because of what I saw growing up, but the young man convinced me that not all men were like my father and that he would never hurt me or leave me.

We got married and I started working as my husband’s income was not enough to support us. I got a job in IT. My husband kept asking me for money and threatened to leave me if I did not give it to him. When my oldest child was 5, my husband threatened to commit suicide unless I gave him money to go to the US, so I borrowed money from my friends and colleagues. He promised to send for us to come and live with him there soon. But after 6 months, he filed for divorce. He said that if I did not agree to the divorce, he would come to India and remove our child from school and take him away to the US. I eventually came to the US through my employment. By then, my husband was living with another woman, even though he was still legally married to me. Even though I was working, without any family support I became very depressed. At this point, I contacted SD Nari.

SD Nari stood by me through the divorce process. With their help, I was able to start fresh. Thanks to them, I was able to furnish my house from scratch. They also helped me navigate the path to US citizenship. I am very grateful for SD Nari’s unconditional support.”

– AT (names changed for privacy)

“I am a survivor of an abusive marriage who came to the USA with my 6 year old son in 2007 leaving behind a good job and well settled life. My then-husband was trying to kill me in order to obtain my parental property.

When I arrived, I didn’t drive so I had to walk six miles everyday to drop my child to school. I volunteered in the Gurudwara where they helped me by providing me with groceries. I was able to pick up free furniture thanks to the generosity of the community. My sister helped me with a phone and laptop.

Upon arrival, I petitioned for asylum in the US. It was an endless wait. I was getting stressed. Finally, my asylum was approved!! However my long journey to find a job had just begun. It felt like finding a needle in a haystack. I left no stone unturned, knocked at every door but nothing was working out.

It was then that my sister introduced me to SD Nari. The entire SD Nari was instrumental in helping me find a job. It has been a painful L-O-N-G struggle but today, by God’s blessings and the support of SD Nari I am finally independent again. Kudos to SD Nari! I will forever be indebted to them and wish them all the best in their ventures ahead. Humbly supporting their cause, I would like to pay it forward by helping other people through SD Nari.”

– ST (names changed for privacy)

“I cannot find the right words to express how deeply grateful I am to you for your unwavering support and help during one of my most difficult times in my life. For 13 days you stood by me guiding me through the intricate process after the loss of my dear beloved husband. Your presence, compassion, and kindness brought immense comfort to my heart when I needed it most. You came as a God sent gift and I will never forget that. With sincere thanks and utmost gratitude”

Shireen Adwani (3 Oct, 2024)

“I would like to thank the SD Nari team and Harini auntie in particular for the astounding amount of help and support they provided me through the most difficult time in my life. I cannot imagine what I would have done without them and their advice. Many thanks to them and I cannot speak highly enough about each individual. As a piece of advice to anyone reading this document, before taking any steps on your own, you will always find picking up the phone and contacting these gracious beings will save you time, effort, cost and worry. You will know what I mean when you do. Thank you so much !!”

Rohit & Sheela Udipi (27 May 2024)

“After our divorce, my ex-wife disappeared with my teenage son. Two years later SD Nari tracked me down in a different state and informed me that my son’s living situation with his mother was unsafe. They were there for me each step of the way as I reunited with my son and established a home in San Diego. Simultaneously they worked with the county to provide my ex-wife the care that she needed. My son is now a happy, healthy, young man. I am so grateful to SD Nari for their unwavering support.”

– AT (names changed for privacy)

“My husband was a wonderful man but as the years went by, he got more and more mentally and emotionally abusive. After 2 decades of silently hoping that things would get better, I decided that I could not bear it any longer. I called SD Nari for assistance. Their unconditional support and guidance gave me the courage to have a difficult conversation with my husband about the state of our relationship. Our discussion was a wakeup call for him. I wish I had spoken up years ago. We decided that our marriage was worth fighting for and are gradually rebuilding our relationship. Thank you, SD Nari, for giving me strength to stand up for myself during one of the most difficult phases of my life.”

– ST (names changed for privacy)

“I am a widowed senior who lives alone and has many health problems. Unfortunately, my adult children and extended family do not live locally. Although Social Security paid for home help, the help was unreliable. In addition, I could not use the Life Alert system because the police took it away. Since I am unable to drive, I had to rely on my friends who were getting tired of my continuous needs.

One of my friends contacted SD Nari on my behalf. They got involved right away. They contacted my social worker and were able to get back my Life Alert service. SD Nari helped me find an adult day care centre and arranged for regular visits from member volunteers to keep me from feeling lonely. I am extremely grateful for the help that I received from SD Nari at this vulnerable stage of my life.”

– KT (names changed for privacy)

“There are no words to express my gratitude to Sdnari for supporting us when no family member was in town. We are seniors (77yrs) and our 51yr disabled daughter was diagnosed with cancer. After the surgery, we returned home with our daughter,and discovered that I had contacted Covid at the hospital. My husband immediately took charge and I was in quarantine at home.
We immediately connected with Sdnari for support. SDNari helped us locate Day and Night care providers and offered to send cooked meals also. Sneh, Harini and Neela visited us.Seema gave her invaluable support. Sdnari ‘s support was invaluable and we are very grateful. I felt I had a family.
Thank you Sdnari.”

– AM (names changed for privacy)