It’s a trope as old as time: Nobody likes a bully. Even if we live in an age where bullies are elected to office.

Because AJWS support continues regardless of White House chaos, this month we’re bringing you the story of Santoshi — a young woman in Lucknow, India, who endured vicious online harassment because she dared to empower girls in her community to stand up for themselves and break through India’s stifling gender norms.

Santoshi wasn’t always a trailblazer. But AJWS partner HUMSAFAR (which roughly translates to “partner on a journey” in Hindi) equipped her to take control of her own life — and mentor other young women as well. She’s one of more than 10,000 young people across Lucknow that HUMSAFAR has reached, and these numbers are only growing.

Blackmailed by an anonymous bully bent on ruining her family’s reputation, Santoshi boldly fought back. “They understood my power as a woman. I had the strength to stand up, the strength to file a complaint with the police,” she says. “That strength came from HUMSAFAR. And I’ll keep fighting until all women have the same strength that HUMSAFAR gave me.”

We could all use a taste of that strength right now. Read Santoshi’s story right here. 

More Stories of Hope

In February, AJWS’s Global Justice Fellowship — a cohort of progressive, American Jewish spiritual leaders — traveled to the Dominican Republic to meet with and learn from AJWS grantee organizations across the country. There, they explored the intrinsic ties between the human rights struggles we face here in the United States and those in the DR. For activist, musician and author Rabbi Sandra Lawson, the trip felt profoundly personal.

“I met with an organization of LGBTQ activists, and I saw the tears of joy in their eyes as we left, having honored their work and their presence. In a place where erasure is so deeply embedded in the system, simply being seen — being acknowledged — was a powerful moment of connection and solidarity,” she writes. “As a Black, Jewish person living in America, I know what it means to have your history rewritten or ignored.” Read her eye-opening reflection here — and watch for more teachings and takeaways from the GJF.

“We’re giving space to people’s humanity.” That may not be what you’d expect to hear from activists managing a homeless shelter. Meet the AJWS partners in India rethinking how to address their country’s homelessness crisis.

In northern Sri Lanka, women use discarded plastic bottles to cultivate sea algae. This environmentally conscious venture, supported by AJWS grantee Mannar Social and Economic Development Organization, provides women with income to sustain their families. And amid the country’s ongoing economic crisis, this initiative is truly changing lives. Photo by Shamila Rathnasooriya.

Thank you so much for standing with us. And may we all be a bit more like Santoshi and the other partners that bring us hope this month.

In solidarity,

Your friends at AJWS