Home Sweet Home is not a phrase that brings a smile on 17-year-old Tahreem Begum’s face. Instead, there’s a hint of fear and sadness.

Tahreem lives with her mother, two sisters, brother and an alcoholic and violent father. Her father regularly beats up her mother and at times the daughters are not spared either. Seeing their sorry state, their sympathetic grandparents took the children and their mother into their home. However, in time and under pressure, her mother and siblings returned to the father’s house, but a determined Tahreem decided to stay back with her grandparents.

The young lady cherished a dream deep within to build a stable career for herself to be able to support herself. But being a school dropout, she could not figure out how she was going to fulfill this dream. It was at this juncture that CAF India validated NGO, MAHITA came to her aid. The NGO was being supported through the regular contributions made by the employees of Microsoft India under CAF India’s Employee Giving programme – Give As You Earn initiative. Through their ‘Going to School for Learning programme’, she was enrolled into a vocational training programme and was provided assistance in resuming her school education.

Everything was fine, until her father showed up one day and tried to get her married to mechanic, even though she was a minor. MAHITA came to her assistance and counseled Tahreem and her grandparents to help her focus on her education. Eventually, the marriage plans were cancelled.

Today, Tahreem is finishing her secondary education and living happily with her grandparents. She is finally confident of standing on her own feet now.

*MAHITA is a CAF India supported NGO and is being aided by our corporate partner, Microsoft India, under our Give As You Earn initiative.