Mental Health Matters - Shumi's Story of Hope

Shumi is a single mother of one daughter and two sons. Her husband is a driver but he is addicted to drugs. Due to excessive drug taking, his lifestyle is out of control.  Shumi's husband would frequently beat her. In his eyes, his wife could not cook so in return she had to bear more punishment.

“I tried every time to convince him but he used to torture me
regularly’’ Shumi said and "due to constant beatings my mental health started to deteriorate’’ she added.

When Shumi's husband left them she started to beg on the streets so that she could feed her three children. Both Shumi's parents are no longer alive and her only brother also refused to help her.

" I begged from dawn to dusk and returned home with whatever I was gratefully given." Shumi explained.

With not enough money to pay her rent, let alone feed her three children, Shumi hit rock bottom. 

It was in early 2021 when her life turned a different corner.  Shumi was begging a shopkeeper to give her money when the shopkeeper mentioned The Sreepur Village charity and helped to refer her to us.

Upon arriving at The Sreepur Village, Shumi started to participate in various livelihood training programmes but she was unable to concentrate due to her mental health.

Shumi quarrelled with the other mothers and she was finding it hard to bond with her children, often neglecting their needs. Shumi struggled to listen to members of staff and was so low her well-being was deteriorating at a very fast pace.

It is because of the kind and generous donations we continue to receive that Shumi was able to begin online counselling sessions to help her understand her new environment and to let her overcome her worries and fears and begin to heal her from her torturous past.

"My counsellor explains everything very well, now I’m trying to work in the way she recommends, she is guiding me and I am starting to feel more positive’’ she added.

After a couple of months, Shumi started attending regular online psychosocial counselling sessions conducted by a professional Clinical Psychologist.

Now, Shumi is attending weekly counselling sessions. Gradually her mental health is improving and now she is able to focus her time and energy on tailoring as well as duck and goat rearing training.